1st Edition

Investigation of Aeronautical and Engineering Component Failures

By A. Venugopal Reddy Copyright 2004
    368 Pages 355 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Failure analysis has grown enormously in it scope and utility in recent years. Developments in materials characterization techniques have made the job of a failure analyst easier and more precise, but it still requires not only a strong background in materials science and engineering, but also practical experience--or at least a strong understanding of past failures.

    Investigation of Aeronautical and Engineering Component Failures offers a systematic presentation of the principles, tools, and techniques of failure analysis and their use in identifying the root cause of failure. The first part of the book presents the technical intricacies of failure analysis, including fracture feature analysis, important aspects of component design and material selection, the origin and control of various defects in metallic materials, and the operational abuses and maintenance deficiencies that often cause premature failures. The second part presents 37 classic case studies covering all of the commonly observed failure modes and causes in metallic components. The emphasis here is on the experimental approach, the interpretation of experimental results, and the logic involved in identifying the root cause of failure.

    Failure analysis can be a difficult, if not daunting, task. Author A. Venugopal Reddy's three decades of investigative experience brings not only authority to this presentation, but also a rare insight that will deepen your understanding and solidify your ability to effectively analyze real component failures.

    FAILURE ANALYSIS
    Introduction
    Qualities of Failure Analyst
    Ethics in Failure Analysis
    TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
    Introduction
    Tools in Failure Analysis
    Techniques in Failure Analysis
    FRACTURE FEATURE ANALYSIS
    Introduction
    Intergranular Fracture
    Transgranular Fracture
    Corrosion Induced Failures
    Wear Related Failures
    DEFICIENCIES IN DESIGN AND MATERIAL SELECTION
    Introduction
    Design Concepts and Concerns
    Material Selection
    MANUFACTURING DEFECTS
    Introduction
    Melting and Teeming Defects
    Casting Defects
    Metal Working Defects
    Heat Treatment Defects
    Defects Generated in Finishing Operations
    OPERATIONAL AND MAINTENANCE DEFECTS
    Introduction
    Maintenance Defects
    SUMMARY
    CASE STUDIES
    Failures Due to Improper Material Selection & Heat Treatment
    Fatigue Failures
    Failures Due to Embrittlement
    Failures Due to Overheating
    Failures Induced by Corrosion
    Failures Initiated by Wear

    Biography

    Reddy\, A. Venugopal

    "This handy volume of service failures is a readable document that can serve as a useful tutor to acolytes in the field of service failure analysis and as a helpful reference for the experienced materials engineer."
    -From the Foreword by Prof. P. Rama Rao, Former Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India

    "…presents the material treated in a clear and systematic matter…includes a plethora of micrographs and pictures of components in order to present the material described, and help readers acquire a better grasp of microstructural anomalies and fracture features… A collection of data in aeronautical failure analysis has been scarce in the technical literature, and in this regard the book provides a unique tool…the author has succeeded greatly in helping us improve our ability to analyze component failures."
    -Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 52, Issue 4, 2005

    "Venugopal Reddy proves that failure analysis is an absorbing exercise demanding depth and breadth in materials science and engineering. The author shows this through a compilation of personal investigative case studies, as well as a summary of the required knowledge and resources to be able to play in the field of failure analysis. …The book is well organized, thoughtfully written, and easy to follow."
    -JOM On-line, Sept 6, 2005