Procedure of

Failure Analyses
Part - 2
Dr. Ir. Winarto, M.Sc.

Departemen Metalurgi
Fakultas Teknik Universitas Indonesia

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Objective of Failure Analysis

1. OBJECTIVE
Failure Analysis must determine the main cause (primary
caused) of the failed product or system in order to take
corrective action and to use that knowledge to prevent
another occurrence.

Collaboration with experts in other disciplines is required in

certain circumstances to integrate the analysis of the
evidence with a quantitative understanding of the stressors
and background information on the design, manufacture,
and service history of the failed product or system.

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

2. Failure Analysis Procedures

The FA Procedures depends on nature of failure itself and the
main procedures are as follows (accord. ASM Handbook)
1) Collection of background data (historical background)
2) Visual Examination and Data Record.
3) Non Destructive Testing (NDT)
4) Destructive Testing
5) Selection, identification, protection during cleaning the
failed parts/components.
6) Investigating of Fracture Surface, Secondary Crack
another phenomena on the failed surface of parts or
components.

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

7) Selecting & preparing the metallographic samples

8) Microscopic Investigation
9) Determination of Failure mechanism
10) Chemical Composition Analysis
11) Fracture Mechanic Analysis
12) Special Testing to stimulate the real working condition
13) Analysis all data (evident) and make a report and
recommendation.

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Technological Tools

 Photography and lighting

 Optical Microscopy up to 500X
 Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) over
10.000X
 Chemical Analysis
 SEM/EDS
 Spark Emission Spectroscopy
 Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR)

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

5. Chemical Analysis

 Chemical Analysis Test consisted of:

 Analyses of Base Metal
 Analyses of inclusion, phase in micro
 Analyses of corrosion Product.

 Chemical Analyses of base metal to ensure that the

failed material has to match in accordance with
material specification (with a Spectrometer). In
addition, micro chemical (inclusion or contaminant)
can be observed by using the tools of Energy
Dispersive Spectrometry or EDS).
 Chemical analyses of corrosion product or scale to
evaluate chemical analyses of base metal which was
reacted with environmental. (by using an X-Ray
Diffraction - XR D )

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

ASM Failure Analysis

5. Chemical Analysis
+ Base metal composition
+ Contaminant composition
 Presence of coating on fracture surface
 Corrosion product composition

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Spectrophotometer:
Chemical Composition Test

For chemical
composition of metal
and alloy e.g.:
Cu, Al, Fe, Mg, Ti, Zn,
Pb, Ni

WAS-AG Foundry Master

SAMPLES %C % Si % Mn %P %S % Al

0.05
ASTM A252 Gr B - - - - -
max

ERW PIPE 0.15 0.28 0.71 0.011 0.001 0.043

SPIRAL PIPE 0.14 0.02 0.89 0.006 0.003 0.033

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FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

XRF vs XRD

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA) Chemical Composition Test (XRD&EDS)

X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) SEM equipped with EDS

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Interface Area of TMAZ Al & HAZ Al Using SEM/EDS

Pin tools taper cylindrical

Pin tools threaded cylindrical

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

ASM Failure Analysis

7. Metallographic Examination
 Section polish and etch

8. Microhardness
 Traverse across crack, HAZ. Determine
gradients
 Inclusions, metallographic phases

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

OPTICAL METALLOGRAPHY
 Metallographic Examination provides information on the
level of material quality (any defects or not) and
metallographic Exam. can examine structure of the failed
metal, either the structure is appropriate to not according
to the specification.

 Material defects can be evaluated by OM as follow :

 inclusion
 Microstructure segregation
 De-carburization
 Wrong HT
 Lin-tempered martensite
 Grain boundary Corrosion

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Optical Microscopy

 Use polished and

etched specimens
 Limited depth of field
 Shows individual
grain structure

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA) Metallographic Test

Microstructure of duplex stainless

steel

Optical Microscopes
Microstructure of crack area on pipe

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

METALLOGRAPHY (MACRO)

Macro structure of weld cross Macro structure of weld cross

section on spiral pipe (nital 2%) section on ERW pipe (nital 2%) Mag
Mag 6,5X 6,5X

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Case Hardening
• Case hardening is a
technique where both
surface hardness and
fatigue life are improved for
steel alloys.
• Both core region and
carburized outer case
region are seen in image.
Knoop microhardness
shows case has higher
hardness (smaller indent).
• A carbon or nitrogen rich
outer surface layer (case)
is introduced by atomic
diffusion from the gaseous
phase. The case is typically
1mm deep and is harder
than the inner core
material.

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

ASM Failure Analysis

9. SEM analysis
 Identify microscopic fracture modes
 Ductile dimpling, inter-granular, cleavage
 Presence of contamination on fracture surface

10. MICROPROBE
 SEM-EDS of individual areas
 Graphite, carbides, precipitates

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

SEM IMAGES

 Individual grains
 Large depth of field
 Vacuum chamber
 Charging

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

SEM with SE
Inter-granular
Cracks

Secondary Electron Images (SE) of Grain boundary cracks on Turbine Blade

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

SEM with BSD

Back Scatter Detector Images (QBSD) of Grain boundary cracks on Turbine Blade

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

ASM Failure Analysis

11. Residual Stresses and phases

 X-Ray diffraction, strain gage methods
12. Simulation Tests
 FEA, stress analysis
 Testing
 Consistent with findings?
13. Summarize findings
14. Report and Distribute
15. Follow-up

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Fracture mechanics
Fracture mechanics – Griffith Theory of brittle fracture
1 Phenomenon in complete brittle fracture: Deformation under loading -
elastic strain energy – crack propagation – new free surface – increase of
surface energy. The critical stress for crack propagation
σc = (2 E s / πa)1/2
where: E = modulus of elasticity; s = specific surface energy; a = one half
the length of an internal crack

2. Phenomenon in fracture involving some plastic deformation:

Deformation under loading - elastic strain energy – crack propagation –
new free surface – increase of surface energy + plastic deformation
energy
σc = [2 E ( s +  p ) / πa)1/2

 where: p = a plastic deformation energy associated with crack extension

where: Gc = critical strain energy release rate; when ( π σ2 a) / E exceeds the value
of Gc, fracture occurs.

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Crack Propagation
Cracks propagate due to sharpness of crack tip
 A plastic material deforms at the tip, “blunting” the
crack.
deformed
region
brittle
plastic

Energy balance on the crack

 Elastic strain energy-
 energy stored in material as it is elastically deformed
 this energy is released when the crack propagates
 creation of new surfaces requires energy

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Fracture Mechanics
Studies the relationships between:
 material properties
 stress level
 crack producing flaws
 crack propagation mechanisms

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FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

STRESS CONCENTRATION AT CRACKS

 For an elliptical crack, can

approximate stress in the
neighborhood of crack

 In ductile materials, yielding

(or plastic deformation) will
occur when sm > sy

 In brittle materials, when sm

1/ 2
a > sc (critical stress), crack
s m  2s 0   propagation will occur
 t 
Young’s modulus Surface energy

Not so bad Bad! 1/ 2

 2 E s 
Avoid sharp corners sc   
 a 

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Compact tension (CT) specimen

single edge notch

bend (SENB or
three-point bend)

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

FRACTURE TOUGHNESS
 Fracture toughness: Kc = Ysc(a)0.5 = Y(2Es)0.5
 Kc is a material property
 Y ~ 1, depends on geometry

s
units of K :
MPa m
a
or ksi in
Adapted from Fig. 8.8,
Callister 6e.

K  s a K  1.1s a

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)
Fracture Toughness

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FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

DESIGN AGAINST CRACK GROWTH

• Crack growth condition: K ≥ Kc

Ys a
• Largest, most stressed cracks grow first!

--Result 1: Max flaw size --Result 2: Design stress

dictates design stress. dictates max. flaw size.
Kc 1  K c 2
sdesign  a max   
Y a max  
Ysdesign



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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Design Example: Aircraft Wing

• Material has Kc = 26 MPa-m0.5
• Two designs to consider...
Design A Design B
-- largest flaw is 9 mm -- use same material
-- failure stress = 112 MPa -- largest flaw is 4 mm
Kc -- failure stress = ?
• Use... sc 
Y amax
• Key point: Y and Kc are the same in both designs. Y is a dimensionless parameter; see Callister page 298.

-- Result:
112 MPa 9 mm 4 mm

sc 
amax A  sc amax B 
Answer: (sc )B  168 MPa
• Reducing flaw size pays off.

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Simulation Tests, FEA, Stress analysis

 Special test is sometimes necessary to simulate the real

situation where the expected occurrence of a failure.
 Simulation tests, environmental conditions may be difficult
to understand and be understood. Example: failure due to
corrosion is very difficult to be repeated on a laboratory test.

 On the other hand, simulation test can help improving the

procedures that can avoid the same failure or can prolong
the use of component. For examples: Simulation to evaluate
of the efficiency of an "additive" to the special lubricants in
overcoming wear and also the "Wind Tunnel" simulating the
flight conditions, etc.

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Software CFD (Fuent)

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

CFD (Fuent) on Pipeline Leakage

Gambar. Posisi Kebocoran Suatu Elbow

Gambar. Distribusi Intensitas Tubulensi - R1

Gambar. Alur Jejak Penipisan Pipa Elbow

Gambar. Distribusi Intensitas Tubulensi – R2

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

 Casting Design Simulation

(Reduction of Casting Reject)
 Perform an analysis with simulation software (Z-CAST), that can
predict and avoid defect by improvement on design or process

3D Model

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

CORROSION & ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOR

TESTING: ASTM & NACE CORROSION TESTS
General Exposure Testing
Localized Corrosion (Pitting, Crevice, Intergranular)
Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) Testing and Evaluation
Immersion Corrosion Testing
Salt Spray Testing
Humidity Chamber Testing
Corrosion Rate Determination:
Low & High Temperature Applications
Corrosion Immersion Testing (low and high pressure)
Full Electrochemical (AC & DC) Corrosion Testing

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Laboratory of Corrosion & Metal Protection

 Various corrosion cell
 Corrosion potential measurements in several environments
 Polarization methods
 Cathodic protection
 Electroplating protection and anodizing.

Salt Spray Machine Corrosion Cell

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FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

STRESS CORROSION CRACKING

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

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FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Wear Failures
 Abrasive Wear
 Fretting
 Rolling Contact Fatigue
Bearings
Roads, potholes
 Spalling, welding
 Corrosive Wear
 Erosive Wear
 Cavitation Erosion

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

 Clue in making conclusion :

 The main (primary) caused is revealed only by “a
systematic examination of all facts” related to the
case.
 Every item of data must be examined and
evaluated for its source, accuracy & relevance to
the entire investigation.
 DATA vs Conclusion  logically analyzed &
evaluated  reasonable & consistent
 If there is conflict between data & conclusion
(due to incompatible data, error or true but
abnormality)  need an additional testing  “a
sound conclusion”

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 FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Analysis of all the data (evidence),

conclusions and recommendations

Technical Report
A. Background Information
B . Objective
C. Laboratory Investigation:
1. Visual Observation
2. Mechanical Testing
3. Metallographic Testing
4. Fractography Examination (macro & Micro)
5. Chemical Comp. Exam. (Spectro, EDS, XRD/XRF)
6. Summary of Finding

D. Analysis
E. Conclusion
F. Recommendation

FAILURE ANALYSIS (FA)

Home Work - 03
1) Explain the purpose of metal lographic test on FA and also explain the steps
on the " Metallographic preparation and testing" !

2 ) E x pl ai n th e p ur p os e o f t he c he mi cal co mp o si ti on t es ti ng on F A a nd
mention some equipment (tools) to be used for chem. testing.

3) If you have to analysis a broken component (eg. Boiler Tubes) which has a
fracture in the longitudinal direction. Describe the number of samples to b e
t a ke n fo r met al l o gr ap hi c te s t. Gi ve t he r e as o n wh y yo u ta k e i t for a
certain number and draw a schematically picture of taken samples!
4) What data do you get from the test using the equipment or tools of Optical
Emission Spectrometry (OES), SEM, Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS),
XRD and XRF! Please explain the purpose of those tests more briefly.

5) What is the purpose of simulated test and give some examples regarding with
simulation test.

6) What method is used to draw the conclusion from the analysing all data.
(please find in FA Handbook about check-list methods).

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