Child Suffers Brain Injury Following Propane Tank Explosion

This case involves a young boy that suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of a propane tank explosion. The child was at a pool club that had propane tank grills onsite. The child was playing a game with other children at the club and ran behind the propane tank in question. The tank subsequently exploded. An expert in metallurgy and materials science was sought to analyze the metal and material composition of the propane tank and speak to how they contributed to the explosion.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Please describe your background in metallurgy.

2. Do you have experience analyzing the materials that contribute to product explosions?

Expert Witness Response E-090329

I am an expert in metallurgy and materials science with 20+ years of experience analyzing material and alloy failure, damage, and susceptibility to extreme environments. I currently hold an endowed chair in metallurgy, run a very large research program in metallurgy and materials science, and teach both graduate and undergraduate courses on metals analysis, failure, processing, and development. In both my research as well as consulting for previous cases and within the industry, I have studied documentation, images, and even taken samples from failure sites to perform relevant analysis from situations such as these. Moreover, I have experience understanding liquid/metal interaction, gas/metal interaction, high pressure and temperature environments, and explosive materials.