DISCONTINUTIES

AND
DEFECTS
 DISCONTINUTIES
• In materials engineering, discontinuities mean lack
of continuity in any component due to the
presence of a break or gap in it OR presence of
some other material instead of the basic material

• A break or gap
= Mechanical Discontinuities
• Presence of some other material
= Chemical Discontinuities
 Mechanical Discontinuities
• Abrupt missing of material in a component due to
poor design, processing, assembly, working
condition

• Sometime, presence of extra material of same kind

which is unwanted
 Examples
• Cracks
• Blow holes
• Gas pockets
• Porosities
• Pin holes
• Laminations
• Lack of fusion
• Lack of penetration
• Undercuts
• Spatter etc
 Chemical Discontinuities

• Presence of a different material in a component

(that are actually not desired) formed due to poor
design and processing.

• Sometime, presence of extra material of different

kind (which is unwanted) formed because of a
chemical or thermal reaction
 Examples
• Sand inclusions

• Slag inclusions

• Coring or segregations

• Tungsten inclusions

• Corrosion products etc

 DEFECTS
• A discontinuity will become defect when only it is
harmful, in the sense, affecting the life and
performance of the component.

• This is decided by codes and standards for that

component for its specified applications.

• All the defects are discontinuities, but all the

discontinuities are NOT defects
 Discontinuities or Defects?
• Criticality of the components
• Size of the discontinuity
• Type and shape of the discontinuity
• Population and distribution of the discontinuities
• Location of the discontinuity
• Orientation of the discontinuity
 Defects due to residual stresses

• Change in size and shape

• Distortion

• Warpage
 Nature of Defects
DEFECTS

REPAIRABLE IRREPAIRABLE

USE SCRAP
 Types of Defects
PLANER (2-D) DEFECTS VOLUMNAR (3-D) DEFECTS

Cracks Porosity
Lamination Blow holes
Lack of sidewall fusion Inclusions
Cold shuts Gas pockets
 Location of Defects
• Surface
• Sub-surface
• Interior

A B

C
 Orientation of Defects

• Longitudinal
A
• Transverse B
C

• Angled
EXAMPLES
TYPES OF GAS POROSITY COMMONLY
FOUND IN WELD METAL.

(A) UNIFORMLY SCATTERED POROSITY.

(B) CLUSTER POROSITY.
(C) LINEAR POROSITY.
(D) ELONGATED POROSITY
SECTIONS SHOWING LOCATIONS OF SLAG INCLUSIONS IN WELD METAL.

(A) NEAR THE SURFACE AND IN THE ROOT OF A SINGLE-PASS WELD.

(B) BETWEEN WELD BEADS IN A MULTIPLE-PASS WELD.
(C) AT THE SIDE OF A WELD NEAR THE ROOT
1. CRATER CRACK IN WELD
2. TRANSVERSE CRACK IN WELD
3. TRANSVERSE CRACK IN HAZ
4. LONGITUDINAL CRACK IN WELD
5. TOE CRACK IN BASE METAL
6. UNDERBEAD CRACK IN BASE
7. FUSIONLINE CRACK
8. ROOT CRACK IN WELD METAL
9. HAT CRACKS IN WELD METAL
Cold lap
 Radiograph Interpretation - Welds

Cold lap
Porosity
Cluster porosity
Slag inclusions
Incomplete penetration (IP) or lack of penetration (LOP)
Incomplete fusion
Internal concavity or suck back
Internal or root undercut
External or crown undercut
Offset or mismatch
Inadequate weld reinforcement
Excess weld reinforcement
Cracks
Tungsten inclusions
Oxide inclusions
 Radiograph Interpretation - Castings

Gas porosity or blow holes

Sand inclusions and dross
Cavity shrinkage
Filamentary shrinkage
Sponge shrinkage
Cracks
Inclusions
Core shift