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  • 1.  Copper tubing tearing

    Posted 05-28-2025 08:59

    I am a newbie in the failure analysis world.  Looking for some assistance.

    We are drawing copper tubing through multiple draws with annealing and planned intervals.

    After annealing, starting the 4th draw,  the material is tearing as soon as drawing begins.

    The setup is correct; dies, lube, etc.  This specific coil has been used on other runs without incident.

    A new operator prepped the material for the previous anneal step.  Our senior tech thinks, perhaps, the material wasn't purged properly.

    Contaminants in the lube got into the material during the annealing cycle.

    I'm having tensile testing done to confirm mechanical properties of the tubing and plan on looking at grain structure/boundaries.

    Thoughts?

     

    Chad Yaeckel

    Quality Engineer

    206 Jones Bvld.

    Pottstown PA, 19464

    chad.yaeckel@micro-coax.com

    https://www.micro-coax.com/

     



  • 2.  RE: Copper tubing tearing

    Posted 05-29-2025 08:36

    Hello Chad,

    If you are seeing rearing along the draw direction, it could be, as your senior tech indicated, due to contaminant or defect in the die. It may help to share photograph of the defect. In any case, you may section the tube in transverse direction (perpendicular to crack) and determine characteristics of the crack via mounting, polishing and examining the cross section. You may also open the crack in the lab and view under a SEM. A problem such as this can be addressed by an expert in failure analysis from any of the local labs.

    Good Luck



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