STUDY OF GEOMETRIC UNSHARPNESS PHENOMENON IN WELDED PLATES USING INDUSTRIAL RADIOGRAPHY METHOD

Abstract

The purpose of this document is to elucidate the methodology employed in analyzing the impact of unsharpness resulting from an X-ray generator on the assessment of steel welded joints. The presence of unsharpness significantly affects the accuracy of welded joint inspections conducted through industrial radiographic techniques, distorting actual measurements of potential discontinuities within the weld. To address this issue, a series of welded joint testing specimens were fabricated using a Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) process. Each specimen was intentionally designed to contain simulated discontinuities whose dimensions adhered to the acceptance or rejection criteria outlined in the API 1104 standard. Subsequently, radiographic testing was conducted on each specimen, and the dimensions of the simulated discontinuities captured on the radiographic films were measured using the "ISee!" software, as recommended by the ASTM E1165 standard. Upon comparison of the actual and theoretical measurements, it was observed that the maximum unsharpness along the X-axis was recorded in specimens featuring elongated slag inclusions (ESI), with a value of 0.1948 mm. Conversely, the maximum unsharpness along the Y-axis was attributed to individual porosities (P), with a recorded value of 0.1041 mm.