Metallurgy of the RMS Titanic

Published

February 1, 1998

Author(s)

Timothy J. Foecke

Abstract

Metallurgical and mechanical analyses were performed on steel and rivet samples recovered from the wreck of the RMS Titanic. It was found that the steel possessed a ductile-to-brittle transition temperature that was very high for this type of steel, making the material brittle at ice water temperatures. This has been attributed to both chemical and microstructural factors. It has also been found that the wrought iron rivets used in the construction of Titanic contained an elevated amount of incorporated slag, and that the orientation of the slag within the rivets may hold an explanation for how the ship accumulated damage during its encounter with the iceberg.

Citation

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - 6118

Report Number

6118

NIST Pub Series

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

forensics, fracture, historical metallurgy, manganese sulfide, mild steels, rivets, ships, Titanic, wrought iron

Citation

Foecke, T. (1998), Metallurgy of the RMS Titanic, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=852863 (Accessed October 7, 2025)