Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Significance of Defects in Welds
Significance of Defects in Welds
Introduction
In the correct sense of the word, a defect is a rejectable discontinuity or a flaw of a rejectable nature. Certain flaws acceptable in one type of product need not be of acceptable nature in another product. A defect is definitely a discontinuity, but a discontinuity need not necessarily be a defect. Acceptance or rejection of a flaw is based on different factors and to mention a few are Stresses to which the parts will be subjected during service Type of material used The temperature and pressure to which the parts will be subjected to Its thickness The environment ( corrosive or non-corrosive) Safety Consequence of failure Cost and accessibility of repair etc. Acceptance standards dictate the type of inspection and testing a weld is subjected to before giving a judgement, the quality control in-charge shall analyse whether the flaw is critical, major or minor and whether the flaws are inherent to the process or due to processing or service conditions. It is very important to see that the base material used for fabrication shall be of good quality. Attested material are demanded in the manufacture of space vehicles, ships submarines, pressure vessels, power boiler components, heavy duty cranes, bridges, etc. wherein the failure of the weld will lead to loss of life, money and reputation. The weld defects can be broadly classified into two types Planar defects two dimensional defects Voluminar defects three dimensional defects Planar defects such as cracks, lack of fusion, and lack of penetration are critical in nature and are not tolerated to any extent. Voluminar defects such as slag inclusion, cavities, pores etc. are tolerated to some extent depending on the product class. Geometric defects such as undercuts, excess reinforcement, under flush, root concavity are also permitted to some extent. If they form sharp notches, they are smoothened out to reduce stress concentration. 2. General reasons for defects The importance of weld quality is increasingly felt as we go ahead with fabrication of sophisticate products using higher strength materials combined with critical design considerations. Defects are generally produced due to Lack of know-how and experience Welding process characteristics Base material composition Defective welding filler material Incorrect joint design Welding environment wind, humidity temperature etc.
1 of 9
2 of 9
welded joints lack of penetration may occur within the weld as a buried defect. Incomplete penetration at the root exposed to the surface is more severe.
3 of 9
The reasons are Incorrect joint design Improper welding parameters particularly current Incorrect electrode size with reference to the groove Wrong polarity in DC welding Incomplete penetration is not tolerated to any extent in welds which are subjected to tension or bending stresses. It can initiate brittle fracture under static or dynamic loads. The unfused root causes stress concentration which could lead to crack initiation from the unfused root and could lead to failure of the weld. Lack of fusion and incomplete penetration are not permitted by pressure vessel codes. These types of defects are more easily detected by ultrasonic testing than radiography. In case of thin welds in ferrous materials, magnetic particle examination can be used
4 of 9
The causes are Occasional touching of the electrode to the molten metal Touch starting not using high frequency to start the arc Improper profile of the tip Excess current Wrong polarity
5 of 9
3.3.4 Distortion
Distortion is the deviation from the desired form or shape and is due to unequal heating and cooling of weld and adjacent base metal leading to unequal expansion and contraction. During welding the rate of heat input by the energy source causes melting of the metal at one point and results in steep temperature gradient along with variation in mechanical properties. The resistance created by the surrounding cold metal to the expansion and contraction of the weld metal is the cause of residual stresses and distortion. Distortion depends on The magnitude of stress developed The distribution of residual stresses on weldment The strength of the metal when it acts The overall resistance of the assembly The effect of distortion is mainly dimensional. This can affect the assembly and the performance during service. Distortion can be controlled by Design Assembly procedures Welding sequence Welding procedure External restraints added by fixtureing.
6 of 9
7 of 9
when compared to most other weld defects. Pores in mild steel welds are therefore normally regarded as harmless to the reliability of the welded joint provided the weld is not working under corrosive conditions or thinner weld metal at the pores can cause leaks after a short time in service. Porosity in the welds in high tensile steels is a warning of hydrogen cracks in the weld metal and heat affected zone. Pores are often linked together by a hydrogen crack. In static test, porosity will affect fillet welds more adversely than butt welds. Different types of porosity are Random porosity Linear or aligned porosity Pinhole porosity Blowholes ( size more than 1.5 mm) Wormholes, piping porosity Starting porosity formed at starting points with fresh electrode. Micro porosity seen under higher magnification Porosity is easily detected by radiography. Surface porosities are detected by LPI.
3.4.4 Embrittlement
For use, at high strength, coupled with good notch toughness the weld structure shall be tempered low carbon martensite. Carbon and alloy steels containing more than 0.18% carbon tends to form brittle martensite structure in the weld HAZ. This can be minimized by controlled cooling rates. Embrittlement is measured by notch toughness values.
3. Significance of defects
The significance of different types of defects depends on the quality requirements of the final products in service. They can be influenced by various factors like Size and location of the defect Type of stresses where the defect is located Strength and notch sensitivity of the weld metal and HAZ Notch sensitivity and strength of base metal in comparison with weld metal Working temperature Working environment corrosive or non corrosive
8 of 9
It is experimentally proved that increasing use of high tensile welds have caused factors reducing the acceptance standards for weld defects. The effect of notch is more in high tensile steel than in mild steel. The presence of excess weld reinforcements along with undercuts seriously affects the service of a critical weld. This can be more than the effect of an embedded slag or porosity. Incomplete penetration can influence brittle fracture under static or dynamic loads. This becomes more serious when the weld is subjected to sub zero temperatures. The effect of lack of fusion is almost same as incomplete penetration. Arc strike is another serious defect to which sufficient attention is rarely given. Arc strike area consists of untempered martensite and possibly contains number of micro cracks. These small fissures can later lead to brittle fracture. Any type of crack is normally not tolerated. Porosity is proved to be the least dangerous defect, but often made to rework by less knowledgeable inspectors. But porosity can be an indication of poor workmanship standards and undesirable practices. Slag inclusions can affect the effective cross section thickness and can be tolerated to some extent. Defects which are not serious when present alone can have a different effect when they are present along with some other defects
4. Judgement of defects
Judgement of a defect is an important factor in controlling the quality of the product on economical levels. Sometimes for want of a proper decision, projects are held up and delayed for considerable period leading to major financial loss. During such occasions the manufacturer may agree as a compromise to remove inconsequential defects. There is no guarantee that a repair weld produces a more sound weld than the original weld. The significance of each defect should influence the judgement. An inspector shall be knowledgeable of distinguishing the type of defect correctly. Sometimes it is essential to have reference blocks, reference radiographs, and workmanship standard specimens to judge the defects correctly. It is essential to have a good metallurgical background and practical experience in fabrication to give a correct judgement about the acceptance of inconsequential defects. It is the experience of fabricators that there is a difference in the opinion between inspectors and inspecting agencies. To improve the judgement of the inspector, it is essential to have training and education, along with experience. It is not only that they should have training on testing equipment and methods but also on interpretation of defects. An inspector should have the end use of the product in mind while taking a decision to reject or rework a weld.
9 of 9