Page 116 - MY STORY

Scene 1 – Day Zero

Conference on Maraging Steels – Los Angeles
Phil S and I wrote a paper on the behavior of welded high
strength Maraging steels. We presented this paper at a

conference, circa 1961, that emphasized fracture
mechanics and the unique metallurgical conditions that
lowered the toughness of the weld when compared to the

parent metal. The presentation included some slides
depicting the complex weld microstructure and
fractographic analysis using selected area (extraction

replica) x-ray diffraction showing the occurrence of
complex brittle intermetallic compounds along the weld

fracture plane using electron microscopy.

During a break in the symposium a short, somewhat
plump gentleman asked me if I would talk with him for a

few minutes. He introduced himself as Sid B. and said he
was a member of the Air Inspector General’s (AIG) office

at Norton AFB in California. He said his office was
responsible for “safety involving USAF aircraft.” He
gave me his business card and asked if he could come

visit me at the failure analysis lab in Santa Monica, CA. I
said “sure — be happy to help.” Those five words are the
basis for this rather long and complex vignette.