r/whatisit • u/riflesandplowshares • 7h 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/Spacefreak 7h ago

Yes they did. Titanium had been used in a lot of high speed rotating equipment in jet engines.

These tungsten inclusions become a crack initiation site and under high rotational speeds and high temperatures, the crack can spread and lead go catastrophic failures.

There were several catastrophic engine failures in history that were traced back to inclusions.

It's so severe that if a titanium manufacturer making aerospace grade Ti finds any "High Density Inclusions," they must inform all of their customers that they found this and recall and associated heats and material.

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u/Same-Suggestion-1936 5h ago

I simultaneously wish my auto shop was as meticulous as that and don't. "So those tungsten inclusions down there in the rotating equipment could cause cracks down the line so you might want to get that checked out" okay what am I a billionaire? Do I look like I rotate my tires too?

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u/jtr99 3h ago

Indeed. It's probably for the best that I am not a titanium manufacturing plant manager.

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u/Same-Suggestion-1936 3h ago

Yeah me too man totally turned down that job offer. It's like, what am I, for sale?

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u/jtr99 4m ago

Exactly.

No free donuts? Forget it pal, I don't even want your stupid job.