MME 321 Crystal Defects, Deformation and Fracture
1711035,1711039,
CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF MATERIALS
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka
BOSTON
MOLASSES
TANK
FAILURE
On Wednesday , Jan 15,
1919,a tank containing 2.3
million gallons molasses
burst, sending a wave of
sticky liquid through the
streets of the North End of
Boston. The spill killed 21
and injured 150 more
people, drowned several
horses , and caused
substantial structural
damage.
ESCHEDE
TRAIN
DISASTER
On June 3,1998 a high
speedy train traveling from
Munich to Hamburg was
derailed and caused a fatal
accident ,near the village of
Eschede in district of Lower
Saxony, Germany.
CRASH
LANDING
UNITED
AIRLINE-232
On July 19,1989,the DC-
10(registered as N1819U)
serving the flight crash-landed
at Sioux City.296 passengers,
among the passengers 52
childrens.112 died during the
accident.
Coursework submitted to Dr. Mamun Al Rashed
Diffusion
1711041
Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
Explanation
• Cracks first formed in rivets due to-
1. Tensile failure
2. Shear failure
3. Bearing failure
Fault in Design • Reached ductile to brittle transition
• Designed to hold 2.5 million gallons
temperature due to low
of liquid , it measured 50 feet tall
Manganese content.
and 90 feet in diameter.
• But steel walls ,which ranged from
0.67 inches at the bottom to 0.31
inches at the top, were too thin to
support the full weight.
• Flawed rivet design.
• Neumann bands was found in
microstructure.
Explanation
• Design of the wheel was lacked
validation testing prior to application.
• Rubber damping ring between wheel
body and tire increased fatigue
susceptibility.
Consequences
When a single train wheel failed,
• The tire became thinner due to wear,
causing a chain reaction which lead to a
dynamic forces were exaggerated,
overpass bridge collapse and over a
resulting crack growth.
dozen derailed train cars. Overall 101
fatalities were reported along with
nearly 100 injuries.
Explanation
Details of Accident
• The flight crew heard aloud explosion
• The tail-mounted engine had failed. •13 mm fatigue was found in fan
• Disc damage all 3 hydraulic. disc.
• An impurity in the titanium
alloy known hard alpha inclusion
in brittle defect.
•Excess nitrogen during the
forging of the metal induct.
Level 3 Term 1