Which of the following are ways that containers can fail?

The correct choice is centered on specific mechanisms of failure relevant to containers that hold hazardous materials. Disintegration, runaway linear cracking, and splits and tears represent the various ways that materials can fail under stress or environmental conditions.

Disintegration refers to the breakdown of material integrity over time or under certain conditions, leading to the loss of containment. This can arise due to chemical reactions, physical stresses, or environmental factors. Runaway linear cracking occurs when cracks grow continuously under stress, often exacerbated by environmental conditions or material fatigue. Splits and tears are physical separations that can occur due to shear forces, impacts, or incorrect handling.

These terms are closely associated with scenarios involved in hazardous material management, making them critical when assessing container safety and integrity. Understanding these failure modes helps responders take appropriate actions in emergency situations and long-term storage of hazardous materials.

The other options present different failure mechanisms that may not uniformly or specifically pertain to containers dealing with hazardous materials. For example, terms like permeation, activation, and fusion might relate to processes in different contexts but do not accurately describe physical failure modes of containers.