Rupture disc fragmentation

We describe what fragmentation is, what ASME has to say about it, and what operations and maintenance engineers can do to mitigate the risks.

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

This high-speed video shows what happens when three types of rupture disc burst:

  • Graphite
  • Flat metal composite disc
  • Reverse acting metal disc

As you can see, the graphite disc immediately shatters into tiny pieces. The flat metal composite disc, however, does not fragment. The scoring around the periphery of the disc helps control the burst and prevent fragmentation. The reverse-acting design and the peripheral scoring of the third disc prevent fragmentation. The entire disc lifts away from the ‘hinge’ at the top but does not release any fragments into the downstream pipework. 

What is fragmentation?

Fragmentation occurs when a rupture disc shatters into multiple fragments upon bursting. Older rupture disc designs were traditionally all fragmenting. Unscored, forward-acting (also known as ‘tension-loaded’) rupture discs of any type of metal can be prone to fragmentation. Graphite rupture discs will always fragment, graphite being a very brittle material.