Macroscopic Features of Different Failure Modes
Blogs Home / Blogs Macroscopic Features of Different Failure Modes Failure Type Material Behaviour Key Macroscopic Features Overload Ductile – Necking (localized thinning) – Cup-and-cone fracture – Fibrous/grey texture Brittle – Flat fracture surface – Chevron patterns – Granular/crystalline texture Sudden Impact (Depends on material) – Radial lines from origin – Minimal plastic deformation – Fragmentation (brittle) Fatigue Cyclic loading – Beach marks/clamshell patterns – Smooth propagation zone – Origin at stress raisers Creep Damage High-temperature sustained load – Intergranular fracture (“rock candy”) – Cavities/voids along grain boundaries – Elongation/bulging – Oxidation/discoloration Points to Note: Overload: Distinguish ductile vs. brittle based on material type. Sudden Impact: May mimic brittle fracture even in ductile materials. Fatigue: Look for progressive crack growth marks (beach marks). Creep: High-temperature exposure is critical; grain boundary damage is a hallmark. Anil K Vashishta Anil K Vashishta is a Metallurgical Engineer from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, with over 29 years of expertise in materials, corrosion, and metallurgical/mechanical laboratory management. As the Managing Director of Colossal Consultants LLC in the United Arab Emirates—founded in 2019 to serve the GCC and South-Eastern regions—Anil applies his extensive background to support diverse industries, particularly oil and gas. A Certified NACE Corrosion Specialist and NACE Material Selection Design Specialist, Anil specializes in corrosion assessment and mitigation, material selection, turnkey laboratory setup, and root cause/failure analysis. His comprehensive skills also include in-situ replica metallography, condition assessment, coating evaluations, and cathodic protection. With a deep passion for technical excellence and practical solutions, Anil continues to drive innovation and best practices in the field of materials engineering. In this article Macroscopic Features of Different Failure Modes Human Factors Engineering: Designing Workplaces for People Coating Deterioration Assessment of a High-Rise Steel Structure in Baku Root Cause Analysis of Heat Exchanger Tube Failures Understanding Galvanic Corrosion: Causes, Effects, and Prevention Hydrogen Induced Cracking in Boiler Water Drum Manway Neck Weld Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI) at a Dubai Hotel Swimming Pool Elevated temperature Creep test of Metallic Material Fractography Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) using API 581 No posts found