ASME Section V

Study Notes
Article 2 – Radiographic Examination (For API 510, 570, & 653 students)

Background: Radiograph is a great method for examining a part for subsurface

discontinuities. A RT source, normally Iridium 191, is used to create gamma radiation.
Gamma rays that strike an RT film exposure the film. The more rays that strike the film
the greater the exposure and the darker the image on the film.

Any object between the RT source and the film will absorb or reflect some of the gamma
rays, so less rays strike the film. What determines how many rays are absorbed or
reflected by an object? It’s called the “mass” of the object. The mass of an object is a
combination of
1) the density of the component being examined, and
2) the thickness of the object.

The greater the mass, the fewer number of gamma rays make it through the object and
strike the film. Thus it is lighter since it was less exposed.

Since the physical density of the weld metal is the same throughout the weld, differences
in the film darkness are a result of different thicknesses. For example, porosity appears
as dark spots in the radiograph, since the total weld metal thickness at the porosity
locations is somewhat thinner than in adjacent areas.

RT Source

Gamma Rays

Object with differing thicknesses

and an internal discontinuity
Film

Developed
Film

Where there is less Mass – More gamma

rays strike film, makes the filmdarker
Key! Dark images mean thinner spots
 ASME Section V
Study Notes
RT Sensitivity – The Image Quality Indicator:
In NDE, the term “sensitivity” describes the ability of a NDE method to see small
discontinuities. More sensitive methods, can find smaller discontinuities. During an RT
exam, it is important that an radiograph has appropriate sensitivity. Otherwise some
important discontinuities may be missed. During an radiography, an Image Quality
Indicator (IQI) is placed on the component being examined. Its purpose is to check the
sensitivity of the film. An IQI is also called a penetrometer or a “penny”.
There are two types of IQI’s, a hole-type and a wire-type. Here’s a picture of the hole-
type IQI. It’s a relatively thin plate that is 0.75” wide and 1.5” in length and has 3 holes
of different diameters. The thickness of the plate is called “T”. The diameter of the
holes is based on the thickness of the IQI. The smallest hole is called the 1T hole,
meaning the hole diameter is the same as the IQI thickness. The next larger is the 2T
hole and the largest hole is the 4T hole.

2T hole

Hole-Type IQI

How does the IQI indicate film sensitivity? The IQI is basically a small plate with a
discontinuities of known size, i.e. the holes in the IQI. During a RT examination an IQI
is placed on the component. When the radiograph is developed, if the 2T hole is visible
on the IQI, then any discontinuity the dimensions equal to or greater than the 2T hole
should be visible in the radiograph. Basically, the IQI has discontinuities of known size
and is used to validate whether the RT has sufficient sensitivity.

IQI

Wire-type IQI’s work similar. A wire-type IQI actually is a small piece of clear plastic
containing 6 different wire diameters. When a wire-type is used, the examiner is looking
to see that the specified wire is visible in the radiograph.