Mechanism failure

A particularly insidious failure mechanism that is commonly found in carbon-steel tubing is under-deposit corrosion. In many cases, corrosion products fomi a scab that can mask the presence of the pitting, making it difficult to quantitatively assess using conventional NDT methods. However, by combining proper cleaning procedures with laser-based inspection methods, the internal surface of the tubing can be accurately characterized and the presence of under-deposit corrosion can be confirmed and quantified. 

Roulin-Moloney A C 1989 Fractography and failure mechanisms of polymers and composites (London Elsevier)... 

In real-life appHcations, many other failure mechanisms are present and this type of curve is not necessarily obtained. For example, in a multicomponents system the quaUty related failures do not necessarily all drop out early but might be phased out over a longer period of time. 

Fig. 14. Failure mechanisms for continuous fiber reinforced ceramic matrices (58).

Fault Tree Analysis Faiilt tree analysis permits the hazardous incident (called the top event) frequency to be estimated from a logic model of the failure mechanisms of a system. The top event is traced downward to more basic failures using logic gates to determine its causes and hkelihood. The model is based on the combinations of fail-... 

Few, if any, failure mechanisms have received as much attention as stress-corrosion cracking (SCC). Yet despite an enormous research effort over many years, an acceptable, generalized theory that satisfactorily explains all elements of the phenomenon has not been produced. SCC is a complex failure mechanism. Nevertheless, its basic characteristics are well known, and a wealth of practical experience permits at least a moderately comfortable working knowledge of the phenomenon. 

Perhaps the most important stress factor affecting corrosion fatigue is the frequency of the cyclic stress. Since corrosion is an essential component of the failure mechanism and since corrosion processes typically require time for the interaction between the metal and its environment, the corrosion-fatigue life of a metal depends on the frequency of the cyclic stress. Relatively low-stress frequencies permit adequate time for corrosion to occur high-stress frequencies may not allow sufficient time for the corrosion processes necessary for corrosion... 

Many sources contain scattered information concerning cooling water system corrosion and defects, and many literature studies describe corrosion processes and mechanisms from a predominantly theoretical viewpoint. Until now, however, no source discusses cooling water system corrosion with emphasis on identification and elimination of specific problems. Much of the information in this book is unique every significant form of attack is thoroughly detailed. Color photos illustrate each failure mechanism, and case histories further describe industrial problems. 

But what is the proper way to use toughness values The most sensible thing to do is ask suppose the panel is loaded up to its yield load (above this load we knoiu it will begin to fail - by plastic flow - so it does not matter whether other failure mechanisms also appear) what is the maximum crack size that is still stable If this is large enough... 

For each material listed in the following table, calculate the minimum mass and wall thickness of the pressure hull of Problem 27.1 for both failure mechanisms at the design pressure. 

Hence determine the limiting failure mechanism for each material. [Hint this is the failure mechanism which gives the larger of the two values of t.]... 

What is the optimum material for the pressure hull What are the mass, wall thickness and limiting failure mechanism of the optimum pressure hull ... 

Material mi, (tonnej k hmj mf (tonne) tf (mm) Limiting failure mechanism... 

The optimum material is alumina, with a mass of 2.02 tonne, a wall thickness of 41 mm and a limiting failure mechanism of external-pressure buckling. 

Dasgupta, A. and Pecht, M. 1991 Material Failure Mechanisms and Damage Models. IEEE Transactions on Reliability, 40(5), 531-536. 

Environments. Among the environmental factors that can shorten life under thermal fatigue conditions are surface decarburization, oxidation, and carburization. The last can be detrimental because it is likely to reduce both hot strength and ductility at the same time. The usual failure mechanism of heat-resistant alloy fixtures in carburizing furnaces is by thermal fatigue damage, evidenced by a prominent network of deep cracks. 

Creton, C., Kramer, E.J., Hui, C.-Y. and Brown, H.R., Failure mechanisms of polymer interfaces reinforced with block copolymers. Macromolecules, 25, 3075-3088 (1992). Boucher et al., E., Effects of the formation of copolymer on the interfacial adhesion between semicrystalline polymers. Macromolecules, 29, 774-782 (1996). 

Fitzpatrick et al. [41] used small-spot XPS to determine the failure mechanism of adhesively bonded, phosphated hot-dipped galvanized steel (HDGS) upon exposure to a humid environment. Substrates were prepared by applying a phosphate conversion coating and then a chromate rinse to HDGS. Lap joints were prepared from substrates having dimensions of 110 x 20 x 1.2 mm using a polybutadiene (PBD) adhesive with a bond line thickness of 250 p,m. The Joints were exposed to 95% RH at 35 C for 12 months and then pulled to failure. 

Fitzpatrick and Watts [57] also applied imaging TOF-SIMS to deteiTnine the failure mechanisms of adhesively bonded, phosphated hot-dipped galvanized steel... 

At elevated temperatures where titanium alloys could be the adherend of choice, a different failure mechanism becomes important. The solubility of oxygen is very high in titanium at high temperatures (up to 25 at.%), so the oxygen in a CAA or other surface oxide can and does dissolve into the metal (Fig. 12). This diffusion leaves voids or microcracks at the metal-oxide interface and embrittles the surface region of the metal (Fig. 13). Consequently, bondline stresses are concentrated at small areas at the interface and the joint fails at low stress levels [51,52]. Such phenomena have been observed for adherends exposed to 600°C for as little as 1 h or 300°C for 710 h prior to bonding [52] and for bonds using... 

Now let us consider utility failure as a cause of overpressure. Failure of the utility supphes (e.g., electric power, cooling water, steam, instrument air or instrument power, or fuel) to refinery plant facihties wiU in many instances result in emergency conditions with potential for overpressuring equipment. Although utility supply systems are designed for reliability by the appropriate selection of multiple generation and distribution systems, spare equipment, backup systems, etc., the possibility of failure still remains. Possible failure mechanisms of each utility must, therefore, be examined and evaluated to determine the associated requirements for overpressure protection. The basic rules for these considerations are as follows ... 

The simplified failure envelopes are not derived from physical theories of failure in which the actual physical processes that cause failure on a microscopic level are integrated to obtain a failure theory. We, instead, deal with phenomenological theories in which we ignore the actual failure mechanisms and concentrate on the gross macroscopic events of failure. Phenomenological theories are based on curve-fitting, so they are failure criteria and not theories of any kind (the term theory implies a formal derivation process). 

Schulz-Forberg, B., B. Droste, and H. Charlett. 1984. Failure mechanics of propane tanks under thermal stresses including fire engulfment. Proc. Int. Symp. on Transport and Storage of LPG and LNG. 1 295-305. 

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