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    Metallurgical Failure Analysis: Techniques and Case Studies
    Metallurgical Failure Analysis: Techniques and Case Studies
    Metallurgical Failure Analysis: Techniques and Case Studies
    Ebook506 pages6 hours

    Metallurgical Failure Analysis: Techniques and Case Studies

    By Kannadi Palankeezhe Balan

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    About this ebook

    Metallurgical Failure Analysis: Techniques and Case Studies explores how components fail and what measures should be taken to avoid future failures. The book introduces the subject of failure analysis; covers the fundamentals and methodology of failure analysis, including fracture and fractography of metals and alloys and the tools and techniques used in a failure investigation; examines 37 case studies on high performance engineering components; features experimental results comprised of visual-, fractographic-, or metallographic- examination, hardness measurements and chemical analysis; includes illustrations and evidence obtained through test results to enhance understanding; and suggests suitable remedial measures when possible.

    The various case studies are classified according to the major causes of failures. The case studies pertain to: Improper Material Selection, Manufacturing Defects, Casting Defects, Overload, Fatigue, Corrosion Induced Failures, Hydrogen Embrittlement and Stress Corrosion Cracking, Wear and Elevated Temperature Failures. The book contains information gathered over three decades of the author’s experience handling a variety of failure cases and will go a long way toward inspiring practicing failure analysts. The book is designed for scientists, metallurgists, engineers, quality control inspectors, professors and students alike.

    • Explores the fundamentals and methodology of failure analysis
    • Examines the major causes of component failures
    • Teaches a systematic approach to investigation to determine the cause of a failure
    • Features 37 case studies on high performance engineering components
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherElsevier Science
    Release dateJan 3, 2018
    ISBN9780128143377
    Metallurgical Failure Analysis: Techniques and Case Studies
    Author

    Kannadi Palankeezhe Balan

    Dr. K. P. BALAN obtained his M.Tech., from IIT, Kharagpur and Ph.D from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi in Metallurgical Engineering. In 1982, he joined the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad, India, working in the area of Failure Analysis. He has held the post of Scientist ‘G’ and head of ‘Structure and Failure Analysis Group’ in DMRL, Hyderabad. Dr. Balan has handled over 500 failure case studies pertaining to defence hardware, railways, thermal power stations, mines etc. Besides failure analysis he has handled Research and Development projects on enhancement of life of small arms barrels, pneumatic and hydraulic pipes for submarines and bearing steels for aerospace applications. He has also carried out metallurgical investigations of over 2000 metallic components of weapons and weapon systems for their indigenization. The recommendations given through his failure analysis have helped in imparting new lease of life to a number of components and systems at various stages of manufacture and operation, thus saving large amount of revenue for the country. Suggestions made through his failure analysis have helped in avoiding future recurrence of similar failures. Dr. Balan has been a member of some of the renowned Indian national committees that addressed failure cases of strategic importance. He has been a member of the Materials Standardisation Sub-Committee under the Directorate of Standardization, and the Sectional committee on Microstructure and Heat Treatment under the Bureau of Indian Standards and has also been a member of Metallurgical Engineering Division Council, of the Bureau of Indian Standards. He has numerous publications to his credit in national and international journals and conference proceedings on topics related to failure analysis and structure-property correlations in steels.

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      Book preview

      Metallurgical Failure Analysis - Kannadi Palankeezhe Balan

      book.

      Part One

      Fundamentals and Methodology

      Chapter One

      Introduction

      Abstract

      The chapter introduces the subject of Failure Analysis first by broadly stating the reasons due to which a failure occurs. It then defines failure analysis and mentions how a component manifests failure. The importance of it being both an art and a science is emphasized. The steps that an analyst adopts to carry out a failure analysis are listed. How important is the knowledge of metallurgy in carrying out analysis of a component failure and how the abuse of metallurgy has been playing a significant role in a large number of metallic component failure are brought out. The readers' attention is drawn toward the role and services of a metallurgist/failure analyst for matters concerning component development projects or component failure.

      Keywords

      Total technical life; User trial; Fracture; Crack; Failure analysis; Ordinance; Aerospace vehicle; Metallurgy; Abuse of metallurgy; Metallurgist; Failure analyst

      An engineering system is designed, developed, and manufactured to fulfill certain human requirements over a total technical life. In addition, the system is also expected to be reliable and cost effective. The realization of the end product goes through the following stages: conceptualizing the system for a given function, designing and development of the prototype, user trials, manufacture, and assembly. An engineering system consists of various components. The designer is required to finalize the geometry and dimension of each and every part, select suitable materials based on availability, draw a fabrication methodology, stipulate the qualitative check and acceptance norms, state the assembling technique, and finally list out the maintenance procedure and schedule. Whenever a system fails to perform a required function, any of the above stage could be the culprit. Human error caused during application and utilization of the system could be another important source responsible for failure. A failure analysis carried out scientifically and systematically alone can pinpoint the cause of such a failure. The suitable remedial measures suggested by the failure analyst can go a long way in minimizing the recurrence of such failures.

      Failure of an engineering component is a condition when it no longer is able to perform the desired function due to a breakage, fracture, crack, wear, corrosion, and inaccuracies as regards to dimensional or other parameters. In a large number of engineering failures, it has been noticed that unsuccessful or nonperformance of an engineering system is due to failure of one or more component of the assembly. During preliminary examination the system’s manager is generally able to locate the component that is suspected to have caused the failure. Whenever there is a crack or fracture telltale evidence is left on the failed component. In certain cases, when there is a rubbing action by the mating fracture surfaces or rubbing of the fracture surfaces by some other component it amounts to loss of useful evidences for an analyst. In such a situation, a failure analyst has to resort to the available data and circumstantial evidences to draw a conclusion about the failure. A good failure analysis can be highly useful in understanding the cause of failure and also the methods to prevent occurrence of such failures in future.

      Failure analysis is a combination of an art and a science. All material scientists or engineers cannot handle failure analysis as it needs certain amount of experience and skill to handle a case study. Since every failure is reported as a crisis it is also expected to get an investigation carried out within a very short time. However, it should be borne in mind that a failure analysis cannot be performed with a magical wand. The analyst requires a certain amount of time to understand the background, collect suitable samples, make a variety of specimens for a large number of tests, interpret the test results, and then come to a conclusion in order to pronounce the cause. Failure analysis is based on sound metallurgical principles and authentic scientific evidences gathered through standard tests. The time frame demanded by the analyst should be considered to be genuine and must be provided for a job to be well handled. After all everyone involved in the case looks forward to the cause of failure and a suitable remedial measure in order to avoid future recurrence of the same.

      Abuse of metallurgy has been the primary reason for a large number of failures of metallic components in our country. Most of the small- and medium-scale industries appoint mechanical engineers in all such fields of shop floor where a metallurgist should actually be taking care of the job, for example, a heat treatment shop. During the design and development of a system, for example, a weapon, ordinance, or an aerospace vehicle; metallurgist or materials experts are seldom part of the team. When some component of the system fails, which is bound to happen, the development team appoints an inquiry committee to look into the matter. Even at this stage a metallurgist is not appointed as one of the members in the inquiry committee. The engineers of the development team arrive at a cause of failure based on the operational error or breakage of some part of the system. Now they approach a metallurgical laboratory with a request for chemical analysis of the failed component. Sometimes the chemical analysis is also accompanied with a request for hardness check. The inquiry committee thinks that it knows the cause of failure and what more they want is a confirmation by a chemical analysis or hardness check. Even at this stage the committee does not realize that what they require is a failure analysis by an expert. What they do not realize is that they need to approach a materials consultant for a thorough failure analysis and appointment of a metallurgist for all future endeavors. This nonrealization leads to failure after failure but fails to wake them up to understand their basic fault—‘abuse of metallurgy’. The day this realization comes and metallurgists get the right place in engineering industries and engineering system development team, the problem of premature failure would minimize to a large extent. Whenever an engineering component fails it is advisable to approach a failure analyst for a detailed failure investigation and apply the remedial measures suggested by him, which will help in avoidance of failures in future.

      Chapter Two

      Fracture

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