Applied Technical Services’ metallurgy lab offers metal fracture analysis services. Our services provide essential insight into the root causes of metal fractures by evaluating the potential contributing factors. Manufacturers rely on fracture analysis for quality control, failure analysis, and further information on a material’s mechanical properties.
What is a Material Fracture?
A fracture occurs when applied stress separates material into two or more pieces. The two most common types of fractures are ductile and brittle fractures.
Brittle Fractures
Brittle fractures are sudden fractures that occur in metals with little warning signs of plastic strain and often cause materials to fracture into multiple pieces. Several factors cause these abrupt failures, including:
Cold Operating Temperatures
Operating equipment at temperatures lower than their design temperature can cause brittle fractures. A material’s crystalline structure is altered by cold temperatures, reducing the material’s resistance to stress and fractures.
Grain Size and Structure
Refined grains have higher mechanical properties than coarse grains, which are more prone to brittle fractures. Larger grains are also more susceptible to brittle fractures because they’re more likely to contain contaminants.
Material Thickness
Thicker materials have a higher risk of brittle fractures because of their high tri-axel stresses.
Ductile Fractures
A ductile fracture is a fracture that exhibits extensive plastic deformation before breaking. Cracks slowly form in ductile fractures, providing ample time to correct the issue and prevent complete failure. Unlike brittle fractures, ductile fractures can endure significant stress before breaking and often break into two pieces. These slow-moving fractures occur in large structures like pipes, tanks, box beams, and bridges.
Applied Technical Services’ Metallurgy Lab
Our metallurgy lab contains the necessary equipment to complete corrosion testing, fracture analysis, and other metallurgical services to clients in various industries, including:
- Aerospace
- Automotive
- Construction
- Defense
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
- Nuclear
- Oil and Gas
- Power Generation
- Renewable Energy
Our staff consists of metallurgists, chemists, engineers, and other lab professionals with decades of experience in relevant applications and industries. We frame our services around the specific needs of a project and work closely with clients throughout the service process to ensure that we meet their demands. Please call +1 (888) 287-5227 for more information on our metallurgy lab and fracture analysis services.
