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Its interesting, but poor quality steel with sulphur contamination is one of the theories behind the failures of the titanic. >Metallurgical and mechanical ana
by abakker 5y ago
Its interesting, but poor quality steel with sulphur contamination is one of the theories behind the failures of the titanic.
>Metallurgical and mechanical analyses were performed on steel and rivet samples recovered from the wreck of the RMS Titanic. It was found that the steel possessed a ductile-to-brittle transition temperature that was very high with respect to the service temperature, making the material brittle at ice-water temperatures. This has been attributed to both chemical and microstructural factors. It has also been found that the wrought iron rivets used in the construction of Titanic contained an elevated amount of incorporated slag, and that the orientation of the slag within the rivets may hold an explanation for how the ship accumulated damage during its encounter with the iceberg.
Source: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-C13-17a17f71ae2f9d4316c52e62d4650c9f/pdf/GOVPUB-C13-17a17f71ae2f9d4316c52e62d4650c9f.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-C13-17a17f71ae2f9...
- ortusdux 5y agoYeah, even a small % of sulfur can shave off 50% or more of your strength. A small amount of phosphorus (<1%) can raise the DBTT above 0°C. The average ocean temp at 200m is 4°C, so you could understand why the steel chemistry is important in subs. Luckily, these can be tested for non-destructively.