In this case multiple events of scuba diving tank explosions prompted a study aimed at determining the root cause of the failures.

The in-depth investigation which included fractography, metalography and chemical analysis, and stress analysis led to the following conclusions:

1. Tanks material microstructure was deficient and inappropriate for sea water exposure, leading to stress corrosion cracking.

2. Scuba tanks were not designed according to leak-before-break principle, thus, cracking reached critical size before traversing wall thickness which ultimately led to uncontrolled catastrophic longitudinal fracturing i.e. explosion of the tanks.

The explosion of similar scuba tanks around the world together with the understanding of the underlying causes of the explosions have led the French manufacturer to recall these tanks and withdraw them from use.