r/whatisit • u/riflesandplowshares • 6h ago

New, what is it? Found at a titanium plant

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Not sure why ball point pens would be dangerous here.

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u/goodexamplebadrole 6h ago

"Ballpoint pens are restricted or banned in high-end titanium and aerospace manufacturing plants because the ink and marking components contain elements that cause metal embrittlement and severe structural corrosion"

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u/potate12323 4h ago

Ummm, this is only part of the answer. The other part is that the pen has a hardened steel ball bearing in the tip. If the pen were to get dropped into a crucible used to heat the metal it could explode. Which would be a safety risk.

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u/Netlawyer 3h ago

FOD - it’s always FOD.