Module 9
Weld and Base Metal
Discontinuities
WIT 9- 1
Discontinuity
“Any interruption in the uniform
nature of an item”
WIT 9- 2
Discontinuities
Seams and laps
Laminations
Weld undercut
Weld cracks
Weld porosity
Many others
WIT 9- 3
Defect
“A non-conforming discontinuity”
All discontinuities are not defects.
All defects are discontinuities.
WIT 9- 4
Discontinuity Criticality
Linear - non-linear
End condition - sharpness
Surface - sub-surface
Loading - uniform, non-uniform
– Fatigue
– Impact
WIT 9- 5
Crack
“A fracture type discontinuity characterized
by a sharp tip and high ratio of length and
width (depth) to opening displacement”
WIT 9- 6
Crack Types
Hot/cold
Delayed/underbead
Longitudinal
Transverse
Throat/toe/root
HAZ/base metal
and many more
WIT 9- 7
Longitudinal Crack
WIT 9- 8
Transverse Crack
WIT 9- 9
Throat Crack
WIT 9- 10
Toe Crack
WIT 9- 11
Crater Cracks in Aluminum Weld
WIT 9- 12
Propagation of Crater Crack in
Aluminum Weld
WIT 9- 13
Underbead Cracks
WIT 9- 14
Underbead Cracking
Often delayed cracking
Caused by hydrogen
Difficult to detect
Avoid with low H2 process
WIT 9- 15
Incomplete Fusion
“ A weld discontinuity in which fusion did not
occur between weld metal and fusion faces or
adjoining weld beads”
WIT 9- 16
Locations of Incomplete Fusion
WIT 9- 17
Incomplete Fusion at Weld Face
WIT 9- 18
Incomplete Fusion Between
Weld Metal and Base Metal
WIT 9- 19
Radiograph of Side-Wall Incomplete
Fusion
WIT 9- 20
Incomplete Joint Penetration
“Weld metal does not extend entirely
through the joint thickness. The
term is used only for groove welds.”
WIT 9- 21
Examples of Incomplete Joint
Penetration
WIT 9- 22
Incomplete Joint Penetration
WIT 9- 23
Radiograph of Penetration Faults
at Bead Starts and Stops
WIT 9- 24
Partial Joint Penetration
“Penetration not required to be
complete by designer”
WIT 9- 25
Inclusions
“Entrapped foreign solid material
such as slag, flux, tungsten or oxide”
WIT 9- 26
Surface Slag Inclusion
WIT 9- 27
Radiograph of Elongated
Slag Inclusions
WIT 9- 28
Radiograph of Tungsten Inclusions
WIT 9- 29
Porosity
“Cavity type discontinuities formed by gas
entrapped during weld metal solidification”
WIT 9- 30
Scattered Surface Porosity
WIT 9- 31
Linear Surface Porosity with
Connecting Crack
WIT 9- 32
Isolated Surface Porosity
WIT 9- 33
Elongated Surface Porosity
WIT 9- 34
Radiograph of Scattered Porosity
WIT 9- 35
Radiograph of Cluster Porosity
WIT 9- 36
Radiograph of Linear Porosity
WIT 9- 37
Undercut
“A groove melted into the base metal adjacent to
the weld toe or weld root and left unfilled by
weld metal”
WIT 9- 38
Typical Appearance of Undercut
WIT 9- 39
Undercut Adjacent to Fillet Weld
WIT 9- 40
Radiograph of Surface Undercut
Surface undercut should be found with VT, NOT RT !
WIT 9- 41
Underfill
“A condition in which the weld face or the root
surface is below the adjacent surface of the
base metal”
WIT 9- 42
Underfill in Groove Welds
WIT 9- 43
Overlap
“The protrusion of weld metal
beyond the weld toe or weld root”
WIT 9- 44
Overlap Examples
Overlap
Overlap
WIT 9- 45
Overlap in Fillet and Groove Welds
WIT 9- 46
Undercut & Overlap in Fillet Weld
Undercut
Overlap
WIT 9- 47
Fillet Weld Convexity
“The maximum distance from the face of a
convex fillet weld perpendicular to a line
joining the weld toes”
WIT 9- 48
Fillet Weld Convexity
WIT 9- 49
Weld Reinforcement
“Weld metal in excess of the quantity
required to fill a joint”
WIT 9- 50
Face and Root Reinforcement
WIT 9- 51
Face Reinforcement on both sides
when welded from both sides
WIT 9- 52
Effect of Weld
Reinforcement
angle on Fatigue
Strength
WIT 9- 53
Improper and Acceptable Treatment of
Weld Reinforcement
WIT 9- 54
Arc Strike
“A discontinuity resulting from an arc,
consisting of any localized remelted metal,
heat-affected metal, or change in the surface
profile of any metal object”
WIT 9- 55
Photomicrograph of Martensitic
Structure Produced by an Arc Strike
WIT 9- 56
Spatter
“Metal particles expelled during fusion welding
that do not form part of the weld”
WIT 9- 57
Crack Formed at Weld Spatter
WIT 9- 58
Lamination
“A discontinuity with separation or weakness
generally aligned parallel to the worked
surface of a metal”
WIT 9- 59
Cracking and Delamination Due
to Lamination
WIT 9- 60
Delamination
“Separation of a lamination under stress”
WIT 9- 61
Lamellar Tear
“A subsurface terrace- and step-like separation in
the base metal, parallel to the surface, caused by
tensile stresses in the through-thickness direction.
WIT 9- 62
Lamellar Tearing
WIT 9- 63
Seams and Laps
“Longitudinal base metal surface discontinuities
found in wrought products”
WIT 9- 64
Deep Seam on Surface of Semi-
Finished Rolled Product
WIT 9- 65
Cluster Seams on Surface of Semi-
Finished Rolled Product
WIT 9- 66
Lap on Surface of Rolled Steel Billet
WIT 9- 67
Dimensional
Size irregularities
Shape imperfections
Distortion
WIT 9- 68
Discontinuities in EBW and LBW
“Unique to the special attributes of the high-
energy beams and narrow weld width”
Beam deflection (missed joint)
Root Porosity
Shrinkage voids
Hot cracks
Lack of fusion (spiking)
WIT 9- 69
