The OceanGate Titan submersible, the first deep-sea vehicle with a hull made primarily from carbon fibers, recently imploded in the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in the loss of five crew members. The investigation into the cause of the disaster has focused on the experimental carbon-fiber hull. Carbon-fiber composites offer advantages like light weight and high strength, but their ability to withstand deep-sea pressures is not well understood.
With the debris of the OceanGate Titan submersible now in the possession of authorities, investigators are working diligently to piece together what caused the vessel to implode in the Atlantic Ocean. Arun Bansil, a distinguished professor of physics at Northeastern University, has been consulted to gain a better understanding of the situation.
The vessel’s experimental carbon-fiber hull has been a major talking point. Carbon-fiber materials are commonly used in aerospace, automotive, sports, medical, and consumer industries due to their light weight and high strength. However, when it comes to deep-sea applications, steel, titanium, and aluminum are widely used for making pressure hulls. Titan was the first deep-sea vehicle to have a hull made primarily from carbon fibers. The ability of carbon fibers to withstand deep-sea pressures, particularly compressive stress, is not well understood, which poses challenges in designing safe hulls based on carbon fibers. The degradation of the epoxy binding the carbon fibers in the composite due to water absorption should also be considered when assessing the failure of Titan.
The use of carbon fibers as a candidate material for deep-sea watercraft began to gain attention around 2000 when Steve Fossett explored their potential for a one-person submersible to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench. However, the submersible Fossett commissioned, DeepFlight Challenger, has not been tested or deployed. Titan was the first deep-sea submersible with a carbon-fiber hull.
Companies are experimenting with new materials in search of transformative advancements in science and engineering. Carbon fibers offer advantages such as high strength, lightweight, and corrosion resistance over metals. While Titan had made several dives to the Titanic shipwreck, it is important to withhold judgment on the exact cause of its implosion until the ongoing investigations are completed. It is likely that researchers will develop carbon-fiber-based materials for deep-sea applications in the future, along with testing protocols to ensure the safe operation of submersibles.
The investigation into the implosion of the OceanGate Titan submersible continues, and further research and testing are necessary to better understand the capabilities and limitations of carbon-fiber hulls in deep-sea environments. The loss of five crew members serves as a tragic reminder of the risks associated with deep-sea exploration and the need for thorough safety assessments in all aspects of these ventures.
For more detailed information on the implosion of the OceanGate Titan submersible and insights from physicist Arun Bansil, please read the article “Physicist Explains How Titan’s ‘Catastrophic Implosion’ Happened – And What It Meant for Those on Board.”