Failure analysis is a critical aspect of product development and system improvement which not only helps us learn from the past, but helps prevent future failures.

Failure analysis is a multi-faceted, holistic approach to determine how and why a material or product failed. The initial stage of any investigation involves an in-depth discovery phase of the circumstances surrounding the failure and any relevant background information, including environmental factors, type of application, service life and pertinent design information. Element's failure analysts apply a wide variety of analytical methods and tools to inspect the failed part.

Working to prevent future failure

While identifying the root cause and associated responsibility of any failure are the primary goals, the added value is provided in preventing future occurrences. Based on findings from the failure analysis process, Element experts provide recommendations and work closely with the customer to find solutions to problems for a diverse range of products and materials. The combination of our materials expertise and our knowledge on what impact the service environment can have on a material or product enables rapid delivery of comprehensive results to identify resolutions and avoid future in-service failures.

Failure Analysis at Element

Our experts are recognized as some of the most trusted in their field by providing reliable failure analysis for a variety of clients, including manufacturers, commercial intermediaries, consumers, lawyers and insurance companies. They have decades of hands-on experience in performing failure analysis across many sectors, including Aerospace, Energy, Transportation, Construction, Medical Device and Consumer Products.

For more information about our failure analysis services or to request a quote, contact us today. 

Materials we analyze

Typical metallic materials analyzed: 

  • Aluminum and aluminum alloys
  • Cast Iron
  • Chrome 
  • Cobalt and cobalt alloys
  • Copper and copper alloys
  • Magnesium and magnesium alloys
  • Molybdenum 
  • Nickel and nickel alloys
  • Powder metal 
  • Steels
  • Titanium and titanium alloys
  • Welds

Common non-metallic materials analyzed: 

  • Acrylics
  • Carbon Fiber and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP)
  • Ceramics
  • Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs)
  • Composites 
  • Fiberglass
  • Glass
  • Polybutylene
  • Polyethylene
  • Polymer Matrix Composites (PMCs)
  • Polymers & Plastics
  • Polypropylene
  • Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
  • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
  • Rubbers & Elastomers
  • Semi-conductors
  • Silicon Carbide
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Our Services

Our teams provide expert failure analysis and reporting through a range of technical services, including stress analysis and material characterization, trace evidence analysis and forensic engineering. 

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Chemical Analysis

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Expert Witness Services

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Corrosion Testing

Find out how Element's corrosion testing programs can drastically reduce the risks associated with corrosion.

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Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

SEM analysis is a powerful analytical tool which uses a focused beam of electrons to produce intricate, high magnification images of a sample’s surface topography.

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Thermal Analysis (DSC, TMA, DMA, TGA)

Thermal analysis methods measure mechanical changes under differing temperatures and loads, and can pinpoint when and at what temperature significant thermal events occur.

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Accelerated Aging Shelf Life Testing

Our shelf life testing can help you determine how climatic and environmental factors like humidity, temperature, and light will affect the lifespan and integrity of your products.

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Impact Testing

Element's experts subject materials and products to dynamic impact, measuring cushioning, g-forces, and impact failure mechanisms. 

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Fatigue Testing

Element's laboratories help customers characterize the properties and behaviors of materials and components using varying loads, speeds, and environmental conditions to create predictive patterns of future behavior.

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Fractography Services

Our fractography services can help determine the cause of failure, fatigue, or defects in metallic materials.

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Our Failure Analysis Capabilities

Our teams provide expert failure analysis and reporting through a range of technical services, including stress analysis and material characterization, trace evidence analysis and forensic engineering.

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We offer a full range of failure analysis services in the following areas:

Corrosion consulting 

Element’s global network of world-renowned corrosion experts and consultants provide support for corrosion-related failures, including failure analysis, consulting and legal case support. We specialize in determining root cause failure, residue identification, and corrosion prevention consultancy.

Expert witness services 

Element offers a wide-ranging expert witness services. Our experts are often called upon to deliver critical testimony or expertise in legal or insurance cases surrounding materials, product or component failures, compliance cases, patent infringements, or detecting evidence of abuse or defects.

Fractography services 

Should a product or material fail, Element’s scientists can examine the fracture surface to determine the cause of the failure. Our experts utilize state-of-the-art surface analysis methods and systems, such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to identify the cause of failure.

Chemical analysis 

Element's network of chemistry labs are available to help you understand the chemical composition of a material, or the chemical processes used during manufacture to help identify why a failure may have occurred.

Residue analysis

Using a variety of techniques, including SEM and EDAX analysis, Element can help identify residual deposits on your materials, and determine whether this is a surface stain or a product of corrosion or material failure.

Failure analysis on-site options

Portable chemical analysis and metallographic equipment are available to facilitate the in-situ examination of failed components where the component cannot be removed from service or is too large to transport off-site. Element has many years' experience in this type of on-site investigation, having provided failure analysis lab services in challenging environments such as offshore oil and gas installations or inside a power generation plant.

 
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