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A failure analysis is much like the work of a detective.
Important clues are discovered throughout the investigation that provides
insight into what may have caused the failure and what contributing factors may
have been involved. The failure analyst is aided by a broad knowledge of
materials in general. Success is more likely if the analyst is aware of the
failed material’s mechanical and physical properties and its fabrication and
historical performance characteristics. The analyst must also possess a working
knowledge of structural design and stress behavior.
A component is considered to have failed when it has deteriorated to the point at which it is unsafe or only marginally capable of performing its intended function. For an item to be classified as a failure it need not be completely broken. As an illustration, consider a fracture as a type of failure. Fractures occur in materials when cracks are initiated and propagate to a greater or lesser degree. They may not go to completion. Cracks may be initiated by mechanical stresses or environmental- or chemical-influences, by the effects of heat, by impurities in the material or by a combination of these and many other factors. Understanding the relative importance of those factors in the specific case at hand is the job of the failure analyst.
Step one: Determine when, where and how the failure occurred
Step three: Take on-site photographs
Step Four: Visually examine the sample
Step five: Identify defects Non-Destructively
Step six: Conduct appropriate chemical analyses
Step seven: Confirm material composition and identify contaminants through EDS analysis
Step eight: Analyze via Fractography
Step nine: Analyze via Metallography
Step ten: Conduct Appropriate Mechanical and Materials Testing and Analysis
