Radiography Test Procedure Part – 1

This Radiography Test Procedure is written with reference to ASME BPVC Sec-V, Article 2 & 22 for film base radiography of castings and welds with X-rays/Gamma Rays using industrial radiographic film.

Surface Preparation

For Casting: Castings Surfaces should not have surface irregularities like dents & surface deformity that the surface irregularities don’t hide the discontinuity or be confused with the image of any discontinuity on the resulting radiograph.

For Welds: The weld ripples or weld surface irregularities on both the inside (where accessible) and outside shall be removed by any suitable process to such a degree that the images of surface irregularities cannot mask or be confused with the image of any discontinuity on the resulting radiograph

Back-scattered Radiation

Radiation which is scattered more than 90 deg with respect to the incident beam, that is, backward in the general direction of the radiation source.

Back Scatter Radiation check

In order to verify excessive backscatter A lead symbol “B,” with minimum dimensions of 7/16 in. (11 mm) in height and 1/16 in. (1.5 mm) in thickness, shall be attached to the back of each film holder during each exposure. The lead symbol “B” shall be placed in a location so that it would appear within an area on the radiograph.

If a light image of the “B,” appears on a darker background of the radiograph, protection from backscatter is insufficient and the radiograph shall be considered unacceptable. However a dark image of the “B” on a lighter background is not cause for rejection.

SYSTEM OF IDENTIFICATION

A system shall be used to produce permanent identification on each radiograph traceable to the

• contract,
• component,
• weld or weld seam, or
• part numbers, as appropriate.

In addition, the Manufacturer’s symbol or name and the date of the radiograph shall be plainly and permanently included on the radiograph. An NDE subcontractor’s name or symbol may also be used together with that of the Manufacturer.

INTENSIFYING SCREENS

Metallic Foil Screen:

• Lead foil screens are commonly used in direct contact with the films, and, depending upon their thickness, and composition of the specimen material.
• screen used in front of the film acts as a filter, absorbing the scattered radiation arising from the specimen, thus improving radiographic quality.
• the back lead screens are used as protection against back-scattered radiation and their thickness is only important for this function.
• For radiography using radioactive sources, the minimum thickness of the front lead screen should be 0.005 in. (0.13 mm) for iridium-192, and 0.010 in. (0.25 mm) for cobalt-60.

Other Metallic Screen Materials

• Lead oxide screens perform in a similar manner to lead foil screens except that their equivalence in lead foil thickness approximates 0.0005 in. (0.013 mm).
• Copper screens have somewhat less absorption and intensification than lead screens but may provide somewhat better radiographic sensitivity with higher energy above 1 MV.
• Gold, tantalum, or other heavy metal screens may be used in cases where lead cannot be used.

Fluorescent Screens

Fluorescent intensifying screens have a cardboard or plastic support coated with a uniform layer of inorganic phosphor (crystalline substance). Phosphors convert photon energy to light. The support and phosphor are held together by a radiotransparent binding material.

Fluorescent screen exposures are usually much shorter than those made without screens or with lead intensifying screens because radiographic films generally are more responsive to visible light than to direct X-radiation, gamma radiation, and electrons.

Image Quality Indicator

Image Quality Indicator (IQI) is an indicator of the quality of the radiographic image. IQI’s in a radiograph indicates the overall sensitivity of the technique and providing a measure of how well the radiograph will reveal discontinuities. It is placed on the test specimen in a position where its image will be recorded on the radiograph.

Hole Type IQI:

Hole-type IQIs shall be manufactured and identified in accordance with the requirements or alternates allowed in SE-1025 Standard Practice for Design, Manufacture, and Material Grouping Classification of Hole-Type Image Quality Indicators ( IQI) Used for Radiology

Wire type IQI

Wire-type IQIs shall be manufactured and identified in accordance with the requirements or alternates allowed in SE-747(Standard Practice for Design, Manufacture and Material Grouping Classification of Wire Image Quality Indicators ( IQI) Used for Radiology), except that the largest wire number or the identification number may be omitted.

ASME standard IQIs shall consist of those in Table T-233.2 for wire type.

Selection of IQI

As per ASME BPVC Sec-V,Article 2

Material: IQIs shall be selected from either the same alloy material group or grade as identified in SE- 1025 for hole type or SE-747 for wire type, or from an alloy material group or grade with less radiation absorption than the material being radiographed.

Size: The designated whole IQI or essential wire shall be as specified in Table T-276. A thinner or thicker hole-type IQI may be substituted for any section thickness listed in Table T-276, provided an equivalent IQI sensitivity is maintained.

(a) Welds With Reinforcements. The thickness on which the IQI is based is the nominal single-wall material thickness plus the weld reinforcement thickness estimated to be present on both sides of the weld (I.D. and O.D.). The values used for the estimated weld reinforcement thicknesses shall be representative of the weld conditions and shall not exceed the maximum permitted by the referencing Code Section (UW-35 FINISHED LONGITUDINAL AND CIRCUMFERENTIAL JOINTS in ASME SEC-VIII Div-1).

The physical measurement of the actual weld reinforcements is not required. Backing rings or strips shall not be considered as part of the thickness in IQI selection.

(b) Welds Without Reinforcements. The thickness on which the IQI is based is the nominal single-wall material thickness. Backing rings or strips shall not be considered as part of the thickness in IQI selection.

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Equivalent Hole-Type IQI Sensitivity

Suppose you have to carry out radiography of a job thickness whose IQI as per Table T-276 is not available with you. In such scenarios T-283.2 Equivalent Hole-Type IQI Sensitivity clause gives you an option to use Equivalent Hole type IQI.

A thinner or thicker hole-type IQI than the designated IQI can be used, provided an equivalent or better IQI sensitivity, as listed in Table T-283, is achieved and all other requirements for radiography are met. Equivalent IQI sensitivity is shown in any row of ASME BPVC Article 2 Table T-283 which contains the designated IQI and hole.

Better IQI sensitivity is shown in any row of the Table below which is above the equivalent sensitivity row. If the designated IQI and hole are not represented in the table, the next thinner IQI row from Table T-283 may be used to establish equivalent IQI sensitivity.

As Per ASME BPVC Sec-V, Article 22

While doing Radiography as per Article 22 The quality level usually required for radiography is 2 % (2-2T when using hole type IQI) unless a higher or lower quality is agreed upon between the purchaser and the supplier.

In Radiography quality level 2-2T the first number of the quality level designation refers to IQI thickness expressed as a percentage of specimen thickness; the second number refers to the diameter of the IQI hole that must be visible on the radiograph, expressed as a multiple of penetrameter thickness, T.

Equivalent I.Q.I. sensitivity—that thickness of I.Q.I. expressed as a percentage of the section thickness radiologically examined in which a 2T hole or 2 % wire size equivalent would be visible under the same radiological conditions.

Calculation of equivalent Sensitivity for hole type IQI:

Where n = thickness of penetrameter expressed in terms of parent material thickness.

If you want to find Value of “n” for a given Hole type IQI, it is given by the formula

Calculation of sensitivity For wire type IQI

RADIOGRAPHIC DENSITY

film density: The quantitative measure of diffuse optical light transmission (optical density, blackening) through a developed film.

Density Variation

(a)The density of the radiograph anywhere through the area of interest shall not

1. vary by more than minus 15% or plus 30% from the density through the body of the designated hole-type IQI adjacent to the essential hole or adjacent to the essential wire of a wire-type IQI,
2. exceed the minimum/maximum allowable density ranges as provided above when calculating the allowable variation in density, the calculation may be rounded to the nearest 0.1 within the range specified above.

(b) When the requirements of (a) above are not met, then an additional IQI shall be used for each exceptional area or areas and the radiograph retaken.

(c) When shims are used with hole-type IQIs, the plus 30% density restriction of (a) above may be exceeded, and the minimum density requirements given above do not apply for the IQI, provided the required IQI sensitivity mentioned below are met.

Required Sensitivity

• Radiography shall be performed with a technique of sufficient sensitivity to display the designated hole-type IQI image and the essential hole, or the essential wire of a wire-type IQI as required in table T- 276 or Table T-283 in case of using equivalent IQI.

• The radiographs shall also display the IQI identifying numbers and letters, which means ASTM,  Material group number for ex. 1B and largest wire diameter for example 11  should be visible in the radiograph.

• While using composite film viewing  method if the designated hole-type IQI image and essential hole, or essential wire of a wire-type IQI, do not show on any film in a multiple film technique, but do show in composite film viewing, interpretation shall be permitted only by composite film viewing.

• For wire-type IQIs, the essential wire shall be visible within the area of interest representing the thickness used for determining the essential wire, inclusive of the allowable density variations described above.

MONITORING DENSITY OF RADIOGRAPHS

 

 

We have not covered all the important radiography steps in this apart do read Part 2 for the complete procedure.

References:

ASME BPVC Sec-V 2019

• Article 1
• Article 2
• Article 22, SE-94

ASME BPVC Sec-VIII Div-1

• 
   https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/published-papers/novel-method-of-recording-cooling-curves-during-laser-laser-arc-hybrid-welding-may-2003
• http://ndttechnology.blogspot.com/2009/01/image-quality-indicators.html