This article reviews various analytical techniques most commonly used in plastic component failure analysis. The description of the techniques is intended to make the reader familiar with the general principles and benefits of the methodologies. The descriptions of the analytical techniques are supplemented by a series of case studies that include pertinent visual examination results and the corresponding images that aided in the characterization of the failures. The techniques covered include Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, thermomechanical analysis, and dynamic mechanical analysis. The article also discusses various analytical methods used to characterize the molecular weight distribution of a polymeric material. It provides information on a wide range of mechanical tests that are available to evaluate plastics and polymers, covering the various considerations in the selection and use of test methods.

This article introduces procedures an engineer or materials scientist can use to investigate failures. It provides a brief survey of polymer systems and key properties that need to be measured during failure analysis. The article begins with an overview of the problem-solving approach pertinent to structure analysis. This is followed by a review of the characterization of plastics by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The article then provides information on the distribution of molecular weight of an engineering plastic. It further discusses the methods used in thermal analysis, namely differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, thermal-mechanical analysis, and dynamic mechanical analysis. The following sections provide details on X-ray diffraction for analyzing crystalline phases and on a minimal scheme for polymer analysis and characterization to assist the design engineer. The article ends with a discussion on the thermal-analytical scheme for analyzing the milligram quantities of polymer samples.

This article is a compilation of abbreviations and symbols related to characterization and failure analysis of plastics.

This article focuses on characterization techniques used for analyzing the physical behavior and chemical composition of thermoset resins, namely chromatography and infrared spectroscopy. The main purpose is to give sufficient detail to permit the reader understand a particular test technique and its value to the thermoset resin field. Epoxy resins are emphasized in the examples because they dominate the airframe and aerospace industries. The article also provides information on two categories of characterization of the processing behavior of thermoset. The first studies the thermal properties of reactive thermoset systems, while the second utilizes these thermal characteristics as the basis for monitoring and control during processing.

This article addresses some established protocols in characterizing thermoplastics, whether they are homogeneous resins, alloyed or blended compositions, or highly modified thermoplastic composites. It begins with a description of various approaches used for the determination of molecular weight (MW) by viscosity measurements. This is followed by a discussion of the use of cone and plate and parallel plate geometries in determining the viscoelastic properties of a polymer melt. Details on some of the chromatographic techniques that allow determination of MW and MW distribution of polymers are then provided. The article concludes with information on three distinctive, but complementary operations of thermoanalytical techniques, namely differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and thermomechanical testing.

This appendix provides a list of books and technical papers utilized as reference material during the development of this book.

This article briefly introduces some commonly used methods of mechanical testing of plastics for determining mechanical properties, also describing the test methods and providing comparative data for the mechanical property tests. In addition, creep testing and dynamic mechanical analyses of viscoelastic plastics are briefly described. The discussion covers the most commonly used tests for impact performance, various types of hardness test for plastics, the fatigue strength of viscoelastic materials, and the tension testing of elastomers and fibers.

This article introduces the wafer-level fault localization failure analysis (FA) process flow for an accelerated yield ramp-up of integrated circuits. It discusses the primary design considerations of a fault localization system with an emphasis on complex tester-based applications. The article presents examples that demonstrate the benefits of the enhanced wafer-level FA process. It also introduces the setup of the wafer-level fault localization system. The application of the wafer-level FA process on a 22 nm technology device failing memory test is studied and some common design limitations and their implications are discussed. The article presents a case study and finally introduces a different value-add application flow capitalizing on the wafer-level fault localization system.

A system failure occurs when a system does not do what it is supposed to do when it is supposed to do it, or it does something it is not supposed to do. This chapter provides a basic understanding of how failures occur, how systems operate, and the types of failures, namely intermittent and inadvertent system failures.

High strain rate tensile testing is used to understand the response of materials to dynamic loading. The behavior of materials under high strain rate tensile loads may differ considerably from that observed in conventional tensile tests. This chapter discusses the processes involved in determining strain rate effects in tension by conventional tensile tests and covers expanding ring tests, flat plate impact tests, split-Hopkinson pressure bar tests, and rotating wheel tests.

Glasses and ceramics are susceptible to stress-corrosion cracking (SCC), as are metals, but the underlying mechanisms differ in many ways. One of the major differences stems from the lack of active dislocation motion that, in metals, serves to arrest cracks by reducing stress concentrations at flaw tips. As a result, even relatively small flaws (20 to 50 μm in radius) can cause glasses and ceramics to fail. This chapter examines the propensity of flaws to grow in glass and ceramic materials exposed to different environments, especially water, at stresses well below those that would produce immediate failure. It describes crack growth mechanisms, explains how to measure crack growth rates and predict time to failure, and provides crack growth data for a number of materials and environments.

Stress severity factors are used in design and analysis to account for stress concentrations, variations in material properties and fabrication quality, and other analytical uncertainties. They indicate the severity of stress in areas that are prone to crack development. This appendix discusses stress severity factors associated with fastener holes in attachment joints.

This chapter discusses the design and application of sheet forming presses. The discussion covers critical variables and design parameters, key components, basic machine configurations, and energy and load requirements. The chapter also discusses time-dependent characteristics, dimensional accuracy, and stiffness as well as die change procedures.

The modeling and simulation activities in the field of high-pressure cold spray can be divided into two main parts: solid mechanics and fluid dynamics. This chapter focuses on these parts of modeling work in cold spray research. The discussion covers the objective, principal concepts, methods, and outcome of modeling and simulation of particle impact and of in-flight history of particles in cold spraying. The concept of integration of particle impact and fluid flow modeling to optimize cold spray deposition for a given material is also explained.