The formation, significance and evaluation of welding defects in pressure vessels

Abstract

Considerations and examples concerning the formation of weld defects, such as embrittlement and cracking during fabrication or service, together with characteristic failure analysis, confirm the decisive significance of the material state in the region of a defect for the specification of allowable defect sizes. Especially emphasised are welded joints in pressure vessels manufactured from medium and high strength steels, which are difficult to handle in the welding and heat-treatment process and which, during service at elevated temperatures, tend to be unfavourably changed in their strength and toughness properties.