Vident Partners provides vetted Metallurgy expert witnesses for cases involving metal fatigue and fracture, weld failures, corrosion and stress-corrosion cracking, defective fasteners and components, and material specification disputes. Request a referral today.
Find a Metallurgy Expert →Overview
Metallurgy experts evaluate the composition, microstructure, mechanical properties, and failure mechanisms of metal components and welds. They are retained to determine whether a fracture, fatigue crack, weld defect, or corrosion failure resulted from defective material, improper processing, faulty fabrication, or service conditions exceeding design limits. ASM International, the world's largest association of materials engineers and scientists, publishes the ASM Handbook series and supports the profession through metallography, fractography, and failure analysis resources. 1 Their analysis typically involves fractography, metallography, hardness and tensile testing under ASTM E8 and related mechanical testing standards. 2 Corrosion and stress-corrosion cracking failures are evaluated against standards published by AMPP (formerly NACE International), the leading global organization for corrosion and materials protection. 3 In litigation they distinguish manufacturing and design defects from misuse and establish whether material selection met applicable specifications.
ASTM E8 (Standard Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials) is the widely used standard for measuring yield strength, tensile strength, and ductility of metals used in failure analysis and material compliance disputes.
Case Types
Metal fatigue and fracture failures
Weld defect and joint failures
Corrosion and stress-corrosion cracking
Defective fastener and component failures
Material specification and quality disputes
Qualifications
Related Specialties
FAQ
A qualified metallurgy expert holds a degree in materials science or metallurgical engineering, frequently complemented by a Professional Engineer (PE) license and active involvement in ASM International. They should have laboratory experience in fractography, metallography, and mechanical and chemical testing, along with prior deposition and trial testimony in metal failure and product liability matters.
Cases involving metal fatigue and fracture, weld and joint failures, corrosion and stress-corrosion cracking, defective fasteners and components, and material specification disputes frequently require a metallurgy expert to identify the failure mechanism and determine whether the metal met applicable specifications.
In general, engineering expert fees are determined by the expert themselves, based on a variety of criteria. Among those criteria are professional experience, forensic experience, engineering certifications and licensure, industry specialization, and publications. Vident does have some influence over expert fees by comparing experts within a specialty, but ultimately it is a personal decision by the expert.
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Vident Partners connects attorneys with qualified metallurgy expert witnesses. Complimentary consultation, 24-hour turnaround, no obligation.
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