What metals do airport detectors detect?

Metals such as iron, nickel and cobalt are detected by passive and active metal detectors. Other metals, such as copper, brass and aluminum, are detected only by active means.



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Below are metals that a metal detector cannot detect:
  • Stainless Steel. Stainless steel is an alloy of iron and chromium. ...
  • Titanium. Titanium is a useful, strong, corrosion-resistant, and lightweight alloy. ...
  • Ceramic Ferrite Magnets. Ordinary magnets contain either iron or iron combined with copper, cobalt, or neodymium.


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The sensitivity of metal detectors is based on a scale of 1 to 15 (1 being the least sensitive, 15 being the most sensitive), and the average airport detector is set at five. Some detectors, particularly in high-risk security areas of the world, are set at seven.

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Metal detectors can detect both ferrous and non-ferrous metal types, although they detect ferrous metals more easily due to their magnetic properties. Ferrous metal contains iron and is often magnetic, while non-ferrous metal consists of other elements like nickel, aluminum, and zinc.

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Inform the TSA officer that you have an artificial knee, hip, other metal implant or a pacemaker, defibrillator or other internal medical device. You should not be screened by a walk-through metal detector if you have an internal medical device such as a pacemaker.

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TSA Guidelines for Jewelry In general, small pieces of jewelry like rings and earrings can be worn through TSA checkpoints without issue. However, heavy jewelry with bulky metal components or multiple pieces can trigger the scanner.

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Can you see a tampon during an airport body scan? This is a frequently asked question on Google, and if it's something you're worried about, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Airport body scanners can't see inside the body and therefore can't detect a tampon on a TSA female body scan image.

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