Tools of

Fractography

By: Waseem Arshad

18 December, 2017
 Contents

Introduction Fracture & Failure Tools Tool Box Scope of Work

Eye Microscopes Limitation NDT DT Compositional

Analysis
 Analyze the fracture features and
attempt to relate the topography of
the fracture surface to the causes of
fracture
 Fracto stems from the Latin fractus,
fracture
graphy derives from the Greek term grapho,
meaning descriptive treatment.
Failure
• Failure is the state or condition of not meeting a
desirable e or intended objective (General)

• Loss in functionality of a component (Specific)

• The inability of a component, machine, or process

to function properly. (Daniel P. Dennies, Ph.D., The
Boeing Company)
Tools?
 Means by which a certain task or objective is accomplished.
 Examples of physical means
 Ruler
 Calipers
 Hammers
 Drill machine
 Tool Box

Physical Tools
 Eyes
 Camera
 Magnifying tools
 SEM equipped with EDS analysis
 NDT
 Destructive Test
 Compositional Analysis
Ranges of Magnification
Pre-Requisite
(Fracture Surface Protection)
 Improper handling, Corrosion
 Always avoid the strong urge to put the fractured pieces back together.
 Avoid touching the fracture surface
 Protecting the surfaces from mechanical damage due to moving or shipping
 Clean, layered polyethylene bag/film is also a good choice.
 Avoid fibrous materials such as paper, cardboard, or fabric.
 Heat generated from the cutting process
 Protect the surface while cutting specimen
Assemble background data
 Installation date
 Operational date
 Date and time of failure
 Drawing
 Inspection Record, Operating temperature and Pressure, Design Temperature and pressure
 Service life at the time of failure
 Frequency of loading.
 Materials used, Manufacturing and fabrication techniques
 Blueprints, photographs, or sketches of the failure and adjacent areas
 Any service deviations that might have contributed to the failure
 Opinions of operating personnel regarding the failure
Scope of Work
 SOW varies with complexity of the projects
 Most often request comes where the client requests failure cause within an
hour.

Recurrent Pitting corrosion failures Charpy Impact failures Bend failures

Intergranular test failures

HUMAN EYE
 Most Important, yet highly Under rated.
 Forms the basis of any analysis.
 Key features are highlighted during Visual examination.

LIMITATIONS
 Maximum resolution of eye is 0.1mm at 25 cm which is known as ‘near point’.
 Image formed by eye can not be stored.
Visual Observation
Plastic Deformation (Cup and Cone)
No Plastic Deformation
Visual Observation (Corrosion)
Visual Observation
(color or scale on fracture faces )
Visual Observation
Loading direction/Stress Concentration
Visual Observation
(Heating Effect)
Visual Observation
(Wear/Damage)
Stereomicroscope

 Stereomicroscopes are used for low

magnification up to around 100x-150x
 Givesa perception of 3D, better depth
of focus and larger fields of view.
Stereomicroscope
 There are two optical paths
transferring the image from the
eyepieces all the way to the to the
final objective lens/to the sample.
 This gives a perception of 3D when
viewing the subject, this is
because you are viewing the
sample from two slightly different
angles, unlike an upright which
views with a single optical path
vertical to the sample
 Hence, better depth of focus, 3D
perception and larger fields of
view.
LIGHT MICROSCOPE

SIMPLE
• One lens
• Convex lens
• Magnification by dispersion of light
• Object should be within the focal length

COMPOUND
The compound microscope uses two types
of lenses, called objectives and eyepiece
arranged in series.
 Camera

Illumination
System

Eyepiece

Filters
Objectives
Main
Body
Stage

Sample
Focusing moving
knobs knobs

Illumination
control
 Commonly used objective lenses:
EYEPIECE (OCULAR) 5x, 10x, 20x, 50x, 100x
• Enlarges the primary image
OBJECTIVE LENS
• Equipped with graticules,
• Most important in image
cross bar
formation.
5x, 10x, 15x
• Collects maximum reflected
light from the sample and
combines it to form a primary
image
• Mounted on a nosepiece
turret
TERMINOLOGY
MAGNIFICATION
“Ability to enlarge objects”
M = Mobjective x Meyepiece

x so M = 200x
Chevron Fracture
Bending Cracks
Beach marks and
Surface
fatigue features
TERMINOLOGY
MAGNIFICATION

50x 200x
• Low resolution at high magnification
• Less depth of field
• Lack of compositional analysis
• Limitation of Wavelength of light
• Max resolution about 0.2 μm

RESOLUTION
Minimum distance between two points such that the points are perceived as separate
images.

• Human Eye 0.1mm

• Light Microscope 0.2µm
• Scanning Electron Microscope 0.1nm
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy
Magnification

Mag = Length of TV scan

Length of electron beam scan

Light Microscope = 2000x (depend

on lenses) Display Image on CRT
SEM Mag. = 300,000x
(Depends on scanning properties)
Depth of focus
Depth of focus is defined as the ability to focus to varying depths
simultaneously.

Light microscope

SEM image
Comparison of Optical & SEM photographs
Salient Fracture Features – SEM

Beach
Equi-axed
Fatigue
Brittle marks
dimples
Striations
Intergranular
indicative
Brittle
indicating
indicative
fracture of
transgranular
of ductile
cyclic
progressive
fracture
crack Fatigue
fracture,inpropagation
cleavage
overload
failure,
fracture arrow
(1000X)
(700X) (1000X)points
to region of initiation
(180X)
Fractography
Equipment Sample Preparation Observations Required
Naked Eye No Fracture/cracked area, region
of interest for microscopy etc.

Stereomicroscope None Presence of any cracks, Crack

origin, voids, pits, other
macroscopic fracture
features.

Metallurgical Yes (grinding, Cracks, Phases, distributions

Microscope polishing and etching of phases, shape of grains, any
also) foreign/2nd phase particles,
porosity etc.

SEM Should be electrically Inter/trans-granular fracture,

conductive microvoids, dimples,
striations, porosity and other
microscopic fracture features.
Non Destructive Testing (NDT)
 Used test methods that do not destroy the material.
 to detect, locate, measure and evaluate discontinuities, defects and other
imperfections; assess integrity, and measure geometrical characteristics (R.B.
Thompson, Center for Nondestructive Evaluation, Iowa State University)
Destructive Test
 This obviously includes anything that requires cutting a part.
 Focuses mainly on Mechanical and corrosive Aspects of material

Categories of the mechanical test

 Tensile Test
 Bend Test
 Hardness Test
 Charpy Impact test
 Fatigue Test
 Corrosion Tests
Optical Emission Spectroscopy
 Electrical source
 Optical system
 Computer System
Thank you!