There is an increasing number of criminal offenses that involve the cutting up or destruction of steel components. The most common of these is the oxygen cutting of steel safes. Also on the increase is the theft of late model cars and trucks. These vehicles are taken to isolated sites and dismantled for the resale of expensive parts. With car and truck parts becoming increasingly more expensive this form of theft is likely to continue.
In a previous paper [1] the interpretation of a variation in trace element content as a function of manufacture was used to show that two parts of a vehicle dismantled by cutting with oxygen had originally been one. The principle has wide application in forensic metallurgy, and this communication describes its employment in a case involving the unlawful possession of silver.
There is little published information on the procedures which should be adopted in examining globes from a vehicle to determine whether they were lit or unlit at the time of an accident. The few which are available (for example, Ref 1) rely heavily on the chemical and physical changes of the components of a globe. None discusses, in terms of microstructure, the reaction of the components to the stress imposed by the accident. The technique of using chemical changes involves, inter alia, noting oxidation of the tungsten filament and adhesion of glass particles to the filament. These changes are sought as evidence for globes being lit at the time of the accident. These results used in isolation can lead to errors. This paper discusses the microstructure of components in new vehicle globes, how the microstructure changes with use, and the difference in reaction of the microstructure to stress as a function of the globe being lit or unlit at the time of the accident. It is suggested that this information used in conjunction with chemical and physical changes leads to a more reliable conclusion, especially when the globe is unlit.
A vehicle owner reported to his insurance company that as he was changing a rear wheel the vehicle fell off the jack and the fuel tank was ruptured and caught fire. A bumper jack in conjunction with an adjustable stand was used. The questions to be answered were these: 1. Were the events, as described by the owner, likely to lead to a fire? 2. If the owner's description was not likely, was there an alternative, reasonable explanation for the fire consistent with an examination of the vehicle?
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