Welding Defects

Any discontinuity (or irregularity) in the weld metal, which exceeds the applicable code limit, is
termed as a WELD DEFECT (or Welding Defect). Please note that a discontinuity can be called as a
defect only when if it exceeds the specified code limit, hence we can say that every defect
present in the weld metal is a discontinuity but every discontinuity present in the weld metal
may not necessarily be a defect. A defect can be macroscopic or microscopic.

(Note: Discontinuity is also termed as “reflector” in some codes and texts)

Defects may occur due to the following reasons

1. Incorrect welding parameters

2. Inappropriate welding procedures
3. Poor process condition
4. Inappropriate selection of filler metal and parent metal
5. Unskilled welder or welding operator
6. Incorrect job preparations
 Classification of Defects
Defects can be classified as external
defect (also known as visual defect or
surface defect) or internal
defect (also known as hidden defect
or subsurface defect). External defects
are those which are found on the surface
itself. Internal defects are those which
exist in the material at some depth. We
can say that defects that are not present
on the surface are internal defects. Please
see the following table
 Different types of welding defects along with their
causes
● 1. CRACKS:
● It is the most dangerous of all
defects. Cracks may be of any size or
shape; it can be either microscopic or
macroscopic. Cracks may appear
anywhere i.e. on the surface,
subsurface, at any depth, or at the
root. The crack occurs when localized
stress exceeds the ultimate Tensile
Stress (UTS) of the material. It may
propagate within the material.

Cracks are of two types;

• Hot Cracks
• Cold Crack
 HOT CRACKS:
● HOT CRACKS:
● Hot cracks occur during welding or soon after the completion of welding, It is
most likely to occur during the solidification of the molten weld pool. Hot
cracks mostly occur in the weld metal but it may occur at the Heat Affected
Zone (HAZ) region too.
● When a hot crack occurs on the weld metal, then it is termed as Solidification
Crack and if it occurs in the HAZ then called Liquation crack.

● Causes of Hot Crack:

1. High concentration of residual stress
2. Rapid cooling of the molten weld pool
3. High thickness of base material
4. Poor ductility of welded material
5. High welding current
6. Inadequate heat treatment
● Prevention:
1. Preheating and post-heating to avoid rapid cooling
2. Using right filler metal
 COLD CRACKS:
● Cold cracks occur after the solidification of weld metal; it can even develop
several days after completion of welding. Most of the time it develops in the
HAZ but may occur on the weld metal too. It is often associated with non-
metallic inclusion.

● Causes of Cold Crack:

● 1. Diffusion of Hydrogen atoms: Hydrogen atoms cause cold cracking. These

hydrogen atoms may be induced in the weld metal from the surrounding,
electrode, base metal, or any contamination present on the root face.
● 2. Lack of Preheating: Due to inadequate preheating, microstructural changes
may take place. Microstructural crystals may re-structure itself to form
martensite. Martensite is very prone to cracks. Preheating also helps in
reducing the diffusion of hydrogen atoms and ensures no moisture on the
joint before welding.
● Prevention
● 1. Preheating and post welding the weld metal
2. Using low Hydrogen electrode
 STAR CRACK (CRATER CRACK):

● Star crack is a type of hot crack and it develops at the crater

on the weld metal. A crater is a depression formed on the
weld bead where the arc gets broken or when the electrode
is changed.
It develops when the center of the weld pool solidifies before
its surroundings and due to this the center pulls the outer
weld and thus star cracks are formed.
 2. POROSITY & BLOW HOLES:
● Porosity is a cavity-like discontinuity and occurs due to the entrapment of
gases in the molten weld pool. These entrapped gases don’t get a chance to
escape from the molten weld pool and hence cause porosity or
blowholes. Porosity is basically a small pore or void, whereas, blowholes
are comparatively larger hole or cavity.
● Porosity may be present on the surface or inside the weld metal. Porosity
can occur individually or it may occur in groups also (mostly), group of
porosity is known as cluster porosity.

● Porosity is of five types mainly, these are;

1. Scattered Porosity
2. Cluster Porosity
3. Piping Porosity
4. Linear Porosity (Aligned Porosity)
5. Elongated Porosity
● ases that are entrapped and cause porosity are mostly Hydrogen, Carbon
mono oxide, Carbon dioxide, Nitrogen, and Oxygen. These gases are formed
due to the fluxes present on the welding electrode, Moisture, Oil, Grease other
foreign contaminants present on the joint, or on the welding electrode or on
the filler wire. Insufficient flow of shielding gas also causes porosity in
GMAW, FCAW, GTAW & PAW welding processes.

● Prevention:
1. Use low Hydrogen electrode
2. Baking of electrodes before welding as per the recommended procedure
3. Thorough cleaning of the joint surface and adjacent area before welding
4. Preheat the joint before welding
5. Ensure sufficient flow of shielding gases if using TIG or MIG welding
 3. UNDERCUT:

● Undercut appears as a narrow groove on the base metal adjacent to the

weld metal along the edge. Undercut always runs parallel to the weld metal.
It acts as a stress raiser during fatigue loading
● Causes of Undercut:
1. High welding current and arc
voltage
2. Large electrode diameter
3. Incorrect electrode angle
4. Longer arc length
● Prevent
1. Control Your Arc Length.
2. Control Weld Angle.
3. Reduce Current.
4. Slow Down the Travel Speed.
5. Reduce the Weave Width.
6. Choose the Correct Welding Position.
7. Consider Which Electrode You Are
Using.
8. Allow the Base Metal to Cool.
 4. UNDERFILL:
● When the weld metal surface remains below the adjacent surface of the
base metal then it is called an underfill. Basically, Underfill is undersized
welding.
cause:
Improper welding techniques

Prevention:
Apply proper welding techniques for the weld
type and position use strippers bead before the
cover pass.
 5. LACK OF PENETRATION (INCOMPLETE
PENETRATION):
● When . the weld metal doesn’t completely penetrate the joint, then it
is called a Lack of Penetration or Incomplete Penetration. It is one of
the most dangerous defects since it acts as a stress raiser, and hence
crack may originate or propagate from there
● Causes of Lack of Penetration:
1. Root gap too small
2. Fast travel speed
3. Low heat input
4. Too large an electrode diameter
● Prevention:
1. Proper joint preparation i.e. providing a
suitable root gap.
2. Proper heat input
3. Correct travel speed
4. Using electrode of suitable size
● Lack of penetration can be repaired by
proper back gouging.
 6. LACK OF FUSION (INCOMPLETE FUSION):
● t is the lack of proper melting (or proper fusion) either between the weld
metal with the base metal or one layer of the weld with the other layer. Lack
of fusion is also called as Cold lapping or cold shuts. One of the most
prominent reasons for the cause of lack of fusion is poor welding techniques.
Lack of fusion is an internal defect, but it can occur on the external surface
too if the sidewall of parent metal doesn’t get properly fused with the base
metal, as shown in the below figure and for this case lack of fusion can also
be called as ‘lack of sidewall fusion’.
●
● Causes of Lack of Fusion:
1. Low welding current
2. Travel speed to high or too low
3. Unfavorable heat input
● Prevention:
● Eliminate the potential causes
● Maintain proper current and welding speed
● Proper cleaning of each bead
 7. SPATTERS:

● Spatters are small globular metal droplets (of weld metal) splashed out on
the base metal during welding. Spatters stick on the base metal hence can be
removed by wire brush or buffing
● Causes of Spatters:
1. Excessive arc current
2. Excessive long arc
3. Improper shielding gases
4. Electrode with improper flux
5. Damp electrodes
● Prevention
1. should go without saying, you
need to know and understand the
metal you are welding. If it is a
quality material suitable for welding,
spatter will be less.
 8. OVERLAP:
● Overlap occurs due to the overflow of weld metal on the surface of base
metal. During welding, molten metal overflows on the base metal without
fusing with the base metal.
● Causes of Overlap:
1. Current too low
2. Large deposition in a single run
3. Longer arc
4. Slow arc travel speed
● Prevention
● 1.use a metal type and grade more agreeable
with high-heat conditions
• 2.Find a more skilled, experienced welder
 9. EXCESSIVE PENETRATION:
● When the penetration of weld metal is too high, through the joints, then it is
called as excessive penetration. It acts as a notch where stress concentration
takes place. In addition to this, it results in economical wastage too.
●
● Causes of Excessive Penetration:
1. Too wide a root gap
2. High welding current
3. Slow travel Speed
● Prevention
1.reduce the amprage
2.use a smaller electrode
3.maintain a stable welding speed
 10. INCLUSION:
● Any entrapped solid material (either metallic or non-metallic) in the
weld metal, is called as Inclusion. Tungsten, Oxides, Slag, and Flux are
some of the common foreign materials which are entrapped in the
molten weld pool and form inclusion.
● Inclusion may occur in most of the fusion welding processes but are very
common in flux shielded arc welding processes such as Shielded metal
arc welding (SMAW), Flux core arc welding (FCAW), and Submerged arc
welding (SAW).
● Tungsten inclusion occurs in those welding processes which use
“Tungsten” as electrodes such as TIG welding and Plasma Arc Welding
(PAW)
 Inclusions are of four types, these are;
1. Tungsten Inclusion
2. Oxide Inclusion
3. Slag Inclusion
4. Flux Inclusion
● When slag gets entrapped and doesn’t get a chance to escape from the
molten weld pool then such inclusion is called as Slag Inclusion. Similarly,
sometimes droplets of tungsten get entrapped within the weld metal
resulting in Tungsten Inclusion (in TIG welding or Plasma Arc Welding – PAW).
Surface oxides also get entrapped resulting in Oxide Inclusion. The words Flux
and slag are often used interchangeably but they are different. Flux is
electrode coating (Solid material which covers the electrode) whereas, Slag is
a byproduct formed by the reaction between flux and the molten weld pool
metal.
● nclusion acts as a stress raiser hence should be avoided.
 11. WAGON TRACKS:
● Linear slag inclusion along the axis of the weld is called as wagon tracks.
During root pass, a groove is formed at the toe, due to wrong welding
techniques, and that groove is filled by slag (especially Hydrogen which
has been trapped by the solidified slag) and thus wagon tracks are formed.
It is also known as worm tracks.
● Causes wagon track
1.the counter of the root pass is
too high,
2.the welded toe is not bonded to
the base metal

Prevention
1.use proper techniques to the
deposit weld root
 12. ARC STRIKE:
● When the electrode or the electrode holder, unintentionally or
accidentally strikes with the workpiece, an unwanted arc is
generated causing an arc strike. Arc strikes may initiate failure in
bending and cyclic loading. In addition to this, it also affects the
aesthetics of the workpiece.
● Causes of Arc Strike welding defects:
• Access to the welding groove is difficult.
• The coating of the electrode holder is
peeling.
• Wrong laying electrode Holder.
• The clamp at base metal is not good.
● Prevention :
• Access to welding should be easier.
• Periodically check the electrode holder.
• Provides a place to put electrode holder.
 13. SHRINKAGE CAVITY:
● During solidification of the molten weld pool, metal shrinkage
occurs. Due to the shrinkage of weld metal, a cavity is formed
known as the shrinkage cavity.
prevent
1. Do not overweld.
2. Use intermittent welding.
3. Use as few weld passes as possible.
4. Place welds near the neutral axis.
5. Balance welds around the neutral axis.
6. Use backstep welding.
7. Anticipate the shrinkage forces.
8. Plan the welding sequence

cause

1. Metal expands when it is heated and if heated enough, contracts past

where it was to start.