ABSTRACT
ABST R AC T There have been numerous recent accidents involving motorcycles, automobiles, aircraft, piping and other engineering products. In many instances, one of the primary contributors to the accident is the failure of a thermoplastic, elastomer, thermoset or polymer ber product. In general, these critical polymer product failures have been the result of design factors such as the improper selection of materials of construction for the intended end use, the improper processing and/or fabrication of these materials into the end product and the improper maintenance of the end product, along with other factors. In addition to the failure analysis of polymer products, failure analysis of several chemical plant accidents has also resulted in the identication of numerous process design deciencies. Scientic methodologies and tools used for identifying the mode of failures for polymer products and chemical processes are provided. Also, issues affecting sustainability such as the public perception of the manufacturers, nancial implications,
CONTENTS
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 872 Materials Failure Analysis: Scientic Methodologies and Tools .................. 872 Case Study: Polymer Product Failure .............................................................. 873
Engineering Investigation Results ........................................................... 875 Case Study: Chlorine Release ............................................................................ 875
Background on Chlorine ........................................................................... 876 Regulations Governing Chlorine ............................................................. 877 Engineering Investigation Results ........................................................... 877
Conclusions .......................................................................................................... 878 References ............................................................................................................. 878
legal ramications, and human injuries are highlighted in several case studies. These case studies will emphasize the importance of considering these factors during polymer product and chemical process design.
