The United States Coast Guard confirmed that the millionaire crew members who carried out the expedition in the ‘Titan’ submarine, they are dead. Experts explained that one of the causes of the event would have been a catastrophic implosion. In the following Depor note, we explain what it is, how it happens and its differences with a bang.
What is an implosion?
Implosion is a physical phenomenon in which a mass collapses or violently contracts towards its center due to internal force or external pressure. The term implosion is commonly used to describe the sudden collapse of structures or vessels, such as buildings, tanks, pipes, or containers, that occurs due to a pressure difference between the interior and exterior.
This pressure difference can be caused by a nearby explosion, structural failure, chemical reaction, or a sudden change in atmospheric pressure. It is important to highlight that implosion can be a destructive and dangerous phenomenon, since it can generate structural damage, release energy and risk the safety of people close to the collapsed object or structure.
According to an expert in the matter, he indicated that the boat suffered a crack and caused a ‘catastrophic implosion‘ which would have killed Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and her son Suleman, Hamish Harding and Stockton Rush. This water pressure at the depth in which the Titanis is located could have overcome the resistance of the hull of the submarine and would have deformed the structure until its collapse.
At almost 4,000 meters deep, the pressure is about 400 atmospheres, about 400 times greater than on the surface. Which means that for every square centimeter of surface, a pressure of 400 kilograms is exerted, the main cause of the immediate death of the crew.
Is explosion the same as implosion?
An explosion is an event in which the sudden release of energy causes a violent expansion of materials or gases from a central point outward. This reaction causes the materials to separate rapidly and disperse in all directions, generating a shock wave. Instead, an implosion is a phenomenon in which materials collapse or contract violently towards the center and this can occur due to a pressure difference, a suction force or a structural collapse.
In short, while a burst involves a rapid and violent expansion of materials outward, a implosion It implies a collapse or contraction of materials, that is, when something with a large volume is compressed to a small volume, causing a great noise.