SEM image showing contamination on the surface of a component in an electrical switch assembly. Contamination analysis is conducted to determine the chemical make up and ID of the contaminants to identify the source.
Failure Mode Analysis
Failure Mode is the manner by which a failure is observed; it generally describes the way the failure occurs. At ATRONA this is conducted through visual analysis, stereoscopic analysis and scanning electron microscopy examination. The image to the left is a scanning electron microscope image taken by Matt Strack of the fracture face that failed through hydrogen embrittlement rendering the topography of the fracture surface with intergranular rupture mode. Intergranular failure modes vary in nature and signs of gaping grain boundaries which give further definition to the root cause of the failure. There are many types of failure modes including:
- Ductile and Brittle Failure Modes
- Dimple Rupture
- Intergranular and Transgranular
- Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC)
- Hydrogen Embrittlement
- Cleavage type ruptures
- Creep and Elongation
- Tensile and Compressive Modes
- Corrosion (many types)
- Fatigue (High & Low Cycles)
With our Great Scanning Electron Microscopy capabilities these failure modes are easily revealed and identified. Even if the fracture face is corroded we have ways to clean the fracture surface to reveal the mode of failure.
Failure Mode is the manner by which a failure is observed; it generally describes the way the failure occurs. At ATRONA this is conducted through visual analysis, stereoscopic analysis and scanning electron microscopy examination. The image to the left is a scanning electron microscope image taken by Matt Strack of the fracture face that failed through hydrogen embrittlement rendering the topography of the fracture surface with intergranular rupture mode. Intergranular failure modes vary in nature and signs of gaping grain boundaries which give further definition to the root cause of the failure. There are many types of failure modes including:
