Failure Investigations
We provide comprehensive failure analysis to determine the root cause of failures from a wide range of industries. Our metallurgists have a wealth of experience of assessing failures from the power generation and petrochemical industries as well as from civil engineering through to consumer products. We offer full characterisation of component failures. We provide analysis of a wide range of failures from fatigue, creep, and overload mechanisms to corrosion, stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue issues. We have vast experience of failures and defects in materials including cast iron, steel, stainless steel,aluminium, brasses and nickel based alloys.
Our laboratory is fully equipped with optical microscopes, stereoscopes and a scanning electron microscope allowing assessment of features at up to 200,000 times magnification. Our SEM is also fitted with an EDX system to supplement the imaging with the chemical composition. The microscopes are complemented by our mechanical testing equipment and chemical analysis suite to aid with failure investigations.
Typically for failure analysis we provide:
- Evaluation of fracture faces and macroscopic defects
- Examination of cross sections through defects to identify microstructural defects in the component material
- Analysis of the chemical composition and morphology of corrosion products, deposits and/or debris
- Assessment of coatings for defects, thickness and composition
- Examination of weldments to identify any manufacture defects or service related issues
- Assessment of the mechanical properties of components in order to identify any material deficiencies in components; we typically consider the tensile strength, hardness, and impact strength of component materials.
- Non-destructive testing for components which maybe recommissioned for service. For such testing we offer dye-penetrant inspections, positive material identification, hardness testing and microstructure replication.
Please contact us today to discuss your metallurgical examination requirements.