A major portion of the U.S. chemical and related commodities production is transported in railroad tank cars. Performance of this equipment directly impacts the economic health of the chemical industry; therefore, it is important that tank cars be properly maintained. It is important that every effort be made to minimize the chance of product release. Metallurgical defects, such as cracks and corrosion, are examples of problems that cause downtime, add cost and limit good performance. These type defects, if undetected, have potential for threatening proper product containment. In addition, defective tank cars erode good customer relationships. This issue was studied and it was concluded that an improved nondestructive testing method applied to tank cars could lead to a safer and more efficient fleet. A project was established to extend acoustic emission (AE) testing to tank car tanks. The project was successful. The results clearly demonstrated that AE testing could be applied to tank cars. The project also revealed that the existing AE device used on fixed metal vessels was more sophisticated than necessary and that a smaller, less expensive testing instrument could be used.

Subject
Nondestructive testing, Test methods, Sensors, Materials, Manufacturing, Containment, Instrumentation, Customers, Defects, Repair, Metals, Transportation, Equipment
© 1989 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1989
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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