Radiography

Defects/Processes
Course Reference : RI NDT2

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Weld Defects
Defects which may be detected by visual
inspection can be grouped under five headings
Cracks
Surface irregularities
Contour defects
Root defects
Miscellaneous
Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Weld Defects
Other associated defects
Cavities
Solid inclusions
Set up irregularities
Parent material
defects
Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Weld Defects

Cracks
Classified by Shape

Classified by Position

Longitudinal

HAZ

Transverse

Centreline

Branched

Crater

Chevron

Fusion zone
Parent metal
Course Ref: RI NDT 2

1. Cracks

Longitudinal parent metal crack

Longitudinal weld metal crack

Transverse weld metal crack

Lamellar tearing
Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Cracks
Transverse Crack:
A fracture in the weld metal
running across the weld

Radiographic Image:
Feathery, twisting line of darker
density running across the width of
the weld image

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Cracks
Longitudinal Crack:
A fracture in the weld metal running
lengthwise in the welding direction

Radiographic Image:
Feathery, twisting line of darker
density running lengthwise along the
weld at any location in the width of
the weld image

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Cracks
Crater / Star Crack:
Cracks which occur in the end crater of
a weld run due to incorrect welding
technique can be found either at the
stop or start of a weld run

Radiographic Image:
Fine dark wavy lines with a feathery
appearance usually emanating from
the centre of the weld crater in the
shape of a star. Sometimes as a single
wavy line longitudinal or transverse to
the crater.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Cracks
HAZ Crack:
A crack which runs parallel to the edge
of the weld cap. It may be situated in
the weld metal, weld junction, heat
affected zone or the parent metal.

Radiographic Image:
Fine dark wavy lines (often
discontinuous) with a feathery
appearance and situated close
together depending on the severity
of the crack.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Cracks
Longitudinal Root Crack:
A fracture in the weld metal at the
edge of the root pass.

Radiographic Image:
Feathery, twisting lines of darker
density along the edge of the
image of the root pass. The
twisting features helps to
distinguish the root crack from
incomplete root penetration

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Root Defects
Lack of Root
Penetration(LOP):
The edge of the pieces have not been
welded together, usually at the
bottom of single V-groove welds

Radiographic Image:

A darker density band, with very

straight line parallel edges, in the
center of the width of the weld image

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Root Defects
Lack of Root Fusion:
Lack of union between weld metal
and parent metal at the root face of
the weld preparation.

Radiographic Image:
A very fine straight dark line running
along one edge of the lighter image
of the root penetration bead.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Root Defects
Internal Concavity (suck
back):
A depression in the center of the
surface of the rootImage:
pass.
Radiographic
An elongated irregular darker density
with fuzzy edges, in the center of the
width of the weld image.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Root Defects
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
exrended along the weld or in the
isolated circular drops.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Root Defects
Burn Through:
A severe depression or a crater-type
hole at the bottom of the weld but
usually not elogated

Radiographic Image:
A localized darker density with fuzzy
edges in the center of the weld
image. It may be wider than the
width of the root pass image.

Burn
Through
Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Lack of Fusion
Lack of Sidewall
Fusion(LOF):
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

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

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.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

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

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Slags
Slag Inclusion:
Weld slag or the other foreign matter
trapped in the weld metal. Usually
formed by slag from a previous weld
run that has not re-melted

Radiographic Image:
Dark indications with irregular shapes
sometimes elongated with sharp
pointed ends, usually following the
line of the weld run.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Slags
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

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Slags
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

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Inclusion
Tungsten Inclusion:
Random bits of tungsten fused into
but not melted into the weld metal

Radiographic Image:
Irregularly shaped lower density
spots randomly located in the weld
image

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Slags
Copper Inclusion:
An inclusion in the weld metal of
small particles of copper which are
deposited from the contact tip used
in mig/mag and submerged arc
welding processes.

Radiographic Image:
It appears in the radiograph as light
spots of any shape with indistinct
edges due to partial alloying with the
weld metal and can be differentiated
from tungsten inclusions because of
this.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Undercut
External Undercut (Cap):
A gouging out of the piece to be
welded, alongside the edge of the to
or external surface of the weld..

Radiographic Image:
An irregular darker density along the
edge of the weld image. The density
will always be darker than the density
of the pieces being welded
Measured in both
Length & Depth

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Undercut
Internal Undercut (Root):
A gouging out of the piece to be
welded, alongside the edge of the to
or internal surface of the weld..

Radiographic Image:
An irregular darker density near the
center of the width of the weld image
and along the edge of the root pass
image.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Incomplete Filled Groove

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.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Excessive Weld Cap

Excessive Reinforcement
(cap):
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.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Porosity
Cluster porosity
Rounded or slightly elongated voids
grouped together.

Radiographic Image:
Rounded or slightly elongated darker
density spots in clusters with the
clusters randomly spaced

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

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.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Porosity
Scattered Porosity
Rounded voids random in size and
location.

Radiographic Image:
Rounded spots of darker densities
random in size and location

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

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

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

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.
Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Porosity
Herring Bone Porosity:
Radiographic Image:

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Missalignment
Offset or Mismatch:
A missalignment of the pieces to
be weled.

Radiographic Image:
An abrupt change in film density
across the width of the weld
image.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Missalignment
Offset or Mismatch with LOP:
A missalignment of the pieces to be
weled 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.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Spot Weld
Spot Weld Gas & Crack:

Spot weld crack

Radiographic Image:

Spot weld gas

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Arc Strike
Arc Strike:
A localized coalescence outside the
weld zone

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

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Miscellaneous Defects
Spatter
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.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Debris
Debris:
Radiographic Image:

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Artifacts
In less severe cases such artefacts may not be a cause for rejection
of the radiograph but darkroom procedures should be reviewed in
order to prevent a recurrence or a further deterioration in
radiographic quality.

Solarisation
A phenomenon in photography in which the
image recorded on a negative or on a
photographic print is wholly or partially
reversed in tone.
Dark areas appear light and vice versa.
It is due to white light whilst the film is in the
developer
Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Artifacts
Film Scratch:

Improper handling the film

(finger nail or abrasive material)
Film scratches can usually be
identified using reflected light.

Radiographic Image:
Very fine straight line usually
dark appearance

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Artifacts
Chemical Marks:
STREAKINESS OR MOTTLING: POOR DEVELOPMENT
This is usually caused by insufficient agitation in the early
stages of development and is due a process known as
bromide streaming. Under or over development usually
leads to a mottled effect on the finished radiograph. A
similar effect will be produced by developer which has
passed the end of its service life.
DEVELOPER SPLASHES
These will appear as dark spots on the film and indicate poor
dark room practice. Such marks are usually visible in
reflected light.
FIXER SPLASHES
These will appear as light spots on the film and again

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Artifacts
Light Leaks:
Radiographic Image:

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Artifacts
Static Discharge:
Radiographic Image:
Dark branched and jiggered fine
lines or lightning like but it also
mottled

Causes:
Due to electric discharge on the
surface of the emulsion when the film
is pulled quickly from the intensifying
screen in a dry atmosphere.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Artifacts
Reticulation:
Radiographic Image:
Has the appearance net like
(honey comb) structure in the
emulsion due to rupture
Very rare nowadays to the
flexible/plastic nature of modern
day emulsions.
Causes
Great differences in temperature
between successive processing
solution or tanks.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Artifacts
Diffraction Mottle:
Radiographic Image:
A dark line appearance of fine porosity
(herringbone pattern) throughout the weld
area.
It can be rectified by
Increase the kV
Changing the radiation angle by
apprx. 5
Rise the lead screen

Causes
Grain structure and grain orientation of
certain materials matching the wavelength
of the radiation.
Austenitic SS and Al are susceptible
Below 50kV/ low kV without lead screen.
Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Artifacts
Dust, Lint and Grime Marks:
Radiographic Image:

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Artifacts
Water marks:
Radiographic Image:
These are easily seen on the
radiograph in both transmitted and
reflected light and are due to uneven
drying.
They commonly occur where a dry or
partially dry film is wetted locally
either by splashing or by excess water
running down from a film clip.
The appearance of water marks can
be reduced or eliminated by the use
of a squeegee to remove excess
water or by the use of a final wash
that contains a small amount of
detergent (i.e. a wetting agent).

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Artifacts
Crimping Marks:
Radiographic Image:

Light marks indicate crimping before

exposure.
Dark marks indicate crimping after
exposure but before film processing.

Course Ref: RI NDT 2

Artifacts
Unknown Artifacts:
Radiographic Image:
Unknown image, can be lighter or
darker

Course Ref: RI NDT 2