Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate, once intriguingly likened the adhesive that secured the Titan submersible’s carbon-fiber hull to “peanut butter.” He specified that this bonding material was more viscous than Elmer’s glue, characterizing it as “pretty simple.”
In a 2018 OceanGate YouTube video, viewers saw Rush supervising the process of uniting the Titan’s titanium ring with its carbon-fiber hull. “The glue is very thick, so it’s not like Elmer’s glue, it’s like peanut butter,” he detailed. Earlier in the same video, he acknowledged the simplicity of the adhesive and warned of the serious consequences if its application was mishandled. “If we mess it up, there’s not a lot of room for recovery,” he noted.
Despite warnings from experts and former OceanGate employees about the potential risks of the Titan submersible’s design, including its adhesive and carbon-fiber hull, Rush pressed on. He defended his decision by pointing to “innovation” as the driving force behind the sub’s unconventional design and his choice not to verify its compliance with industry standards. Tragically, the Titan submersible succumbed to the intense pressures of the deep ocean and imploded last month during a journey to the Titanic wreck site, leading to the loss of all five onboard, including Rush himself.
Following a review of photos of the submersible’s remains, a professional indicated to Insider that it appears the experimental carbon-fiber hull was the initial point of failure, resulting in the disastrous implosion.
