Monthly Archives: January 2018

Paper Published in Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention

posted January 2018

Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention

Alkaline Carbonate SCC Failures at a Refinery, co-written by MEE staff engineers, Ryan Haase and Larry Hanke was recently published in the Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention ( First Online: January 16, 2018)

A metallurgical evaluation was performed to investigate two failures from carbonate-containing sour water service at a refinery. The paper details the visual, SEM/EDS, metallographic, and microhardness evaluations used to determine the failure mechanism for each refinery component.

 

 

 

 

 

Filed under: Failure Analysis, metallography, Microhardness Testing, scanning electron microscope,

Failure Analysis

posted January 2018

“The greatest teacher, failure is.”
Yoda

Wind Generator Blade Failure

This line from the latest Star Wars movie caught our ear. Any product failure can have serious consequences – from financial loss and/or personal safety perspectives. The expertise of the MEE engineering and technical staff encompasses a fundamental understanding of material behavior and a broad range of experience with different materials and types of failure. Paired with our technical expertise in failure analysis is an understanding that there is often an underlying root cause of failure that may be of greater importance to mitigating or preventing similar failures or improving a product’s future performance.

There is a lot to be learned from failure. MEE is your partner in the determination of the cause of a failure to minimize future risk.

Filed under: Failure Analysis,

Nanostructures Imaging

posted January 2018

These images are of a selective area of AlGaN (aluminum gallium nitride) nanostructures on graphene. Images were captured using the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope, FESEM, at MEE in support of a project partnership between CrayoNano AS of Norway and Agnitron Technology of Eden Prairie, MN USA.

AlGaN Nanostructure

AlGaN Nanostructure

AlGaN Nanostructure

The FESEM is an advanced microscope offering increased magnification and the ability to observe very fine features at a lower voltage than the SEM found in most laboratories.  Just as important as having the right tools for the job is having an experienced operator who can use the microscope to reveal the best images. Kudos to Kurt Schenk, MEE Laboratory Manager, for his work on this fascinating project.

Filed under: Materials testing laboratory, microscopy,