INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES FOR INDUSTRIAL SERVICES CO. LTD.

RADIOGRAPHIC FILM INTERPRETATION

MUHANAD HASSAN ABDALLA

NDT LEVEL III
 WELD DISCONTINUITIES

• A discontinuity is an interruption of a typical

structure. such as in-homogeneity in the
mechanical, metallurgical, or physical
characteristics of a material.

• A defect is a reject-able discontinuity

 POROSITY
Definition:
• gas entrapment in the solidifying metal

Radiographic Image:
• often appears as dark round or irregular spots
• appearing singularly, in clusters or rows
• sometimes elongated with appearance of having
a tail-as a result of gas attempting to escape
while the metal is still in a liquid state and is
called wormhole porosity
 POROSITY

• All porosity is a void thus have a radiographic

density more than the surrounding area.
Severity: Not that dangerous due to rounded
boundary, no stress concentration, rejected
when exceeding certain criteria
 POROSITY
Gas Pore or Single
Porosity
• A cavity generally under
1.5mm in diameter, formed
by gas trapped in the weld
metal during solidification.

Radiographic Image
• The image appears as a
dark round spot with sharp
contours.
 CLUSTER POROSITY

Definition:

• Occur when flux coated electrodes contaminated

with moisture
• The moisture turns into gases when heated and
becomes trapped in the weld during the welding
process
 CLUSTER POROSITY
Radiographic Image:
• Rounded or slightly elongated darker density spots
in clusters with the clusters randomly spaced
• Same regular porosity but will be grouped close
together
CLUSTER POROSITY
CLUSTER POROSITY
CLUSTER POROSITY
 SCATTERED POROSITY
Scattered Porosity

• Rounded voids random in

size and location.

Radiographic Image
• Rounded spots of darker
densities random in size
and location
SCATTERED POROSITY
SCATTERED POROSITY
SCATTERED POROSITY
SCATTERED POROSITY
LINEAR POROSITY
LINEAR POROSITY
 Root Pass Aligned Porosity

• Rounded and elongated voids in

the bottom of the weld aligned
along the weld centerline.

Radiographic Image
• Rounded and elongated darker
density spots, that may be
connected, in a straight line in
the center of the width of the
weld image
Root Pass Aligned Porosity
 Surface Porosity
Surface Porosity
• Groups of gas pores formed by
entrapped gas during solidification of
the weld metal.
Radiographic Image
• Gas inclusions form spherical blow
holes or bubbles, their images
appear as dark round spots with
sharp contours randomly distributed.
• Surface breaking porosity usually
appears spread out to the extremities
of the image of the weld cap rather
than more centrally distributed as
when found in the weld body.
 Herring Bone Porosity
Herring Bone
Porosity
• elongated with
appearance of
having a tail-as a
result of gas
attempting to
escape while the
metal is still in a
liquid state
Elongated Porosity
Hollow Bead
 SLAG INCLUSION
Definition:
• Weld slag or the other foreign matter trapped in
the weld metal. Usually formed by slag from a
previous weld Slag which used in the welding
process and remain within the weld

Causes:
• Insufficient clean between passes
 SLAG INCLUSION
Characteristic:
• Continuous or intermittent line or both
• Line normally accompany by LOF
 SLAG INCLUSION
Radiographic Appearance:
dark irregular continuous or intermittent line
Contrast lower than porosity

Severity:
Depend on contour-curve contour is not that
dangerous compare to sharp edge
SLAG INCLUSION
SLAG INCLUSION
 SLAG INCLUSION
Interpass Slag Inclusion
Usually non-metallic impurities
that solidified on the weld
surface and were not removed
between weld passes

Radiographic Image:
An irregular –shaped darker
density spot, usually slightly
elongated and randomly
spaced
 SLAG INCLUSION
Elongated Slag Lines
(Wagon Tracks)
Impurities that solidify on the
surface after welding and were
not removed between passes

Radiographic Image
Elongated, parallel or single
darker density lines, irregular in
width and slightly winding in the
lengthwise direction
SLAG INCLUSION
Elongated Slag Line
 TUNGSTEN INCLUSION

Definition:
• Tungsten particle trapped in TIG weld due to
improper welding procedure
• Tungsten is denser than steel

Characteristic:
• Splinters or wire
 TUNGSTEN INCLUSION

Radiographic Appearance:
• light marks irregular or lines
TUNGSTEN INCLUSION
TUNGSTEN INCLUSION
 OXIDE INCLUSION

Definition:
• are usually visible on the surface of material
being welded (especially aluminum).

Radiographic image:
• Oxide inclusions are less dense than the
surrounding material and, therefore, appear as
dark irregularly shaped discontinuities in the
radiograph.
OXIDE INCLUSION
 INCOMPLETE PENETRATION
(LACK OF PENETRATION)
Definition:
• Incomplete penetration at the root area

Causes:
• opening between plate is too narrow (poor bevel
preparation)
• electrode size is too big
• Welding speed too fast
• Current/voltage too low
INCOMPLETE PENETRATION
(LACK OF PENETRATION)
 INCOMPLETE PENETRATION
(LACK OF PENETRATION)
Severity:
Extremely dangerous defect due to sharp notch that
may act as a stress riser

Appearance:
dark, continuous or intermittent line with both edges
or one of the edge straight
INCOMPLETE PENETRATION
(LACK OF PENETRATION)
INCOMPLETE PENETRATION
(LACK OF PENETRATION)
INCOMPLETE PENETRATION
(LACK OF PENETRATION)
INCOMPLETE PENETRATION
(LACK OF PENETRATION)
 INCOMPLETE FUSION
(LACK OF FUSION)
Definition:
• Incomplete fusion between weld and parent metal
or weld and weld metal
 INCOMPLETE FUSION
(LACK OF FUSION)
Causes:
• Too low welding current • Slag obstruction
• Oxide/paint/oil • Incorrect joint design
contamination • Unsuitable polarity
 INCOMPLETE FUSION
(LACK OF FUSION)
Types:
• LO sidewall fusion
• LO root fusion
• LO interpass fusion

Appearance:
• Dark straight line of low intensity with sharply
defined edge
• Considered dangerous
INCOMPLETE FUSION
(LACK OF FUSION)
 INCOMPLETE FUSION
(LACK OF FUSION)
Interpass Cold Lap
Lack of fusion areas along the top
surface and edge of lower passes.

Radiographic Image:
Small spots of darker densities,
some with slightly elongated tails,
aligned in the welding direction
and not in the center of the width
of the weld image.
52
 INCOMPLETE FUSION
(LACK OF FUSION)
Lack of Sidewall
Fusion with Slags
Elongated voids between weld
beads and the joint surfaces

Radiographic Image:
Elongated, parallel, or single, darker
density lines sometimes with darker
density spots dispersed along the
LOF lines which are very straight in
the lengthwise direction and not
winding like elongated slag lines
 INCOMPLETE FUSION
(LACK OF FUSION)

Lack of Side Wall

Fusion with Slag
INCOMPLETE FUSION
(LACK OF FUSION)
INCOMPLETE FUSION
(LACK OF FUSION)
 CRACKS
Can be in the weld or in parent metal
Causes: (too many)
• excessive stress
• Segregation in the weld metal –center line crack
• Localize over heating- crater crack
• Cooling rate too fast
 CRACKS

Types
• Longitudinal, transverse, crater, center line, root
crack, toe crack

Appearance:
• Often very faint irregular lines. Cracks can
sometimes appear as "tails" on inclusions or porosity.

Severity
• Extremely dangerous defect rejected by most codes
and standards
CRACKS
 CRACKS

TRANSVERSE CRACK

LONGITUDINAL CRACK

LONGITUDINAL CRACK
CRACKS
 CRACKS
LONGITUDINAL CRACK
CRACKS
CRATER CRACK
 CRACKS
CENTER LINE CRACK
CRACKS
ROOT CRACK
 ROOT CONCAVITY
Root Concavity (Internal Concavity) or Suck back
Appearance:
An elongated irregular darker density with fuzzy edge
or irregular edges at the center of the width of the
weld image.
ROOT CONCAVITY
 ROOT CONCAVITY
Root Concavity (Internal Concavity) or Suck back
 EXTERNAL CONCAVITY
(INSUFFICIENT FILL)
Or Inadequate Weld Reinforcement
Insufficient Fill
A depression in the top of the weld, or cover pass, indicating a
thinner than normal section thickness..
Radiographic Image:
A weld density darker than the density of the pieces being
welded and extending across the full width of the weld image.
EXTERNAL CONCAVITY
(INSUFFICIENT FILL)
INTERNAL or ROOT UNDERCUT
An erosion or gouging out of the base metal next to the
root of the weld.

Radiographic Image:
it appears as a dark irregular line from centerline of the
Weldments. Undercutting is not as straight edged as LOP
because it does not follow a ground edge.
INTERNAL or ROOT UNDERCUT
EXTERNAL or CROWN UNDERCUT
A gouging out of the piece to be welded, alongside the
edge of the top or “external” out surface of the weld.

Radiographic image:
It appears as a dark irregular line along the outside edge
of the weld area. The density should always be darker
than the density of pieces being welded.
EXTERNAL or CROWN UNDERCUT
EXTERNAL or CROWN UNDERCUT
 BURN-THROUGH
is that portion on the root bead where excessive
penetration has caused the weld puddle to be blown in to
the pipe.

On a radiograph:
appears as dark spots, which are often surrounded by
light globular areas.
BURN-THROUGH
 MISMATCH or MISALIGNMENT
condition where two pieces being welded together
are not properly aligned

The Radiographic Image:

difference in density between the two pieces due to
difference in material thickness.
MISMATCH or MISALIGNMENT
 MISMATCH or MISALIGNMENT
Mismatch with LOP
A misalignment of the pieces to
be weld and insufficient filling of
the bottom of the weld or “root
area”.

Radiographic Image:
An abrupt change in film density
across the width of the weld
image with a straight longitudinal
darker density line at the center of
the width of the weld image along
the edge of the density change.
MISMATCH or MISALIGNMENT
Mismatch(Misalignment) with LOP
MISMATCH or MISALIGNMENT
Mismatch(Misalignment) with LOP
 EXCESSIVE REINFORCEMENT
(EXCESSIVE CAP WELD)
A heavy deposit of the final weld run
giving a convex shape with an
abrupt change in thickness at the
boundary between the parent metal
and the weld reinforcement.

Radiographic Image:
A high contrast between the density
of the image of the parent metal and
the image of the weld with little or no
sign of the image of the root run.
EXCESSIVE REINFORCEMENT
(EXCESSIVE CAP WELD)
 EXCESSIVE PENETRATION
Extra metal at the bottom (root)
of the weld.

Radiographic Image:
A lighter density in the center of
the width of the weld image,
either extended along the weld
or in the isolated circular
“drops”.
 MISCELLANEOUS DEFECTS
Spatter
Small droplets of weld metal
deposited on the surface of the
parent metal and sometimes on the
surface of the weld.

Radiographic Image:
Small round light spots on the image
of the parent metal and on the image
of the weld.
 MISCELLANEOUS DEFECTS
Arc Strike
A localized coalescence outside
the weld zone

Radiographic Image:
Irregularly shaped lower density
spots located in the parent metal
image