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Inspecting a 95 mm (3.74 in.) Thick

Dissimilar Weld Using the A26 Dual
Linear Array™ (DLA) Probe

Introduction
In the oil and gas, petrochemical, and power generation
sectors, thick-walled components, such as pipes, are
commonly used. To keep costs low, these thick components
are usually made of simple carbon steel and lined with an
overlay (cladding) of a more corrosion-resistant alloy (CRA) to
extend the life and increase the safety of the system. These
same corrosion-resistant alloys can also be used as filler for
the weld, which is the case for the part shown in Figure 1.
This component came from a pipeline that carried a corrosive
chemical under high pressure, so carbon steel alone was
insufficient to contain the flowing liquid and resist corrosion for
a sustained period. When the weld material differs from the
part material, this is referred to as a “dissimilar weld.”
Dissimilar welds present challenges for nondestructive testing
(NDT). In the past, radiography testing (RT) was often used to
inspect these dissimilar materials. However, thick materials
require much longer exposure times, increasing the overall RT
inspection time and cost. These difficulties, as well as
advances in the field of phased array technology, make
ultrasound a viable alternative for these types of inspections.

Figure 1 — 95 mm (3.74 in.) thick component with dissimilar

weld material and overlay

Challenges of Inspecting Dissimilar and Thick

Welds
There were two main challenges to this pipeline inspection.
The dissimilar material of the weld and cladding, as well as the
thickness of the component (95 mm (3.74 in.)).

Inspecting dissimilar materials with the conventional shear

wave technique is difficult. When a beam travels through a
component containing a weld, both the metalmetal interface
and the coarse-grained structure of the weld can cause
reflection (backscatter) and refraction of the ultrasonic waves.
This, in turn, leads to skewing, splitting, and attenuation of the
ultrasonic beam. (See the application note “Easy Ultrasonic
Phased Array Inspection of Corrosion-Resistant Alloys and
Dissimilar Weld Materials” for more details).

In addition to the dissimilarity issue, thick components also

have their specific challenges. More energy needs to be
propagated into the part to achieve good probability of
detection and accurate readings.

Solution Using the A26 Dual Linear Phased

Array Probe
The A26 DLA probe was designed to solve the problems faced
when inspecting thick dissimilar welds. This probe model uses
a low-frequency, large-aperture, and TRL (transmit-receive
longitudinal) technique. Since low-frequency longitudinal
waves are significantly less affected by skewing and
attenuation, they are a better prospect for dissimilar material
inspection than shear waves. The transmit-receive or pitch-
catch configuration also allows more sound (energy) to be
sent into the thick component without the drawback of
increasing the noise level.

Figure 2 — Drawing of the bevel and dissimilar weld profile

Because of the mode conversion (from longitudinal to shear

wave) that occurs when the wave reflects off a surface, only
half skip procedures are practical (direct beams).

For this inspection, the component was 95 mm (3.74 in.) thick

with a carbon-steel base material, a welded overlay of 825
alloy, and a nickel alloy (ErNiCrMo-3 + ENiCrMo3T1-4) weld
filler (see Fig.1). The weld was grounded flush to enable
scanning for possible transverse flaws (at 0 degrees and 180
degrees, as illustrated in the Fig. 7 scan plan).

Figure 3 — Demonstration block schema

Two different probe frequencies were used. The bottom of the

demonstration block was the area of interest (shown in Fig. 4).
To detect side wall lack of fusion defects, the ID notch height,
and all longitudinal defect lengths, the A26 5 MHz phased
array (PA) probe was used first. A lower frequency (A26 2.25
MHz) probe was then used to achieve the penetration in the
more attenuative nickel alloy filler material at 0- and 180-
degree skew angles (Fig. 5).

Figures 7 and 8 show the 5 mm (0.20 in.) diameter SDH (side-

drilled hole) transverse defects that were measured precisely
with the A26 2.25 MHz probe, even deep in the thick filler
material.

Figure 4 — Area of interest for this application showing side

wall lack of fusion and ID notches

Advantages of Using the A26 DLA Probe on

Thick, Dissimilar Welds
We have achieved good results using our Dual Matrix Array™
(DMA) and Dual Linear Array™ (DLA) probes to solve noisy or
dissimilar material applications. Some examples of this
success can be found in the following application notes, “Dual
Matrix Array for the Inspection of Acoustically Noisy Welds”
and “Inspecting Small-Diameter, Austenitic Steel Pipes using a
Dual Linear Array (DLA) Probe.” However, certain thick-walled
applications still posed a challenge for previous probe models.
The A26 DLA probe was designed with thick components in
mind. Its lower frequency enables better penetration, and its
pitch-catch configuration and larger aperture transmits more
energy into the part, without increasing the noise level.

A17 — 2.25Mhz

A26 — 5Mhz

Figure 5 — Comparison of the A17 and A26 probes’ S-scan

results for a longitudinal defect

Figure 6 — Comparison of the A17 and A26 probes’ C-scan

results for a longitudinal defect

Conclusion
The new A26 probe provided a better sizing performance than
our other smaller dual array probes.

Because of the 5 MHz A26 PA probe’s larger aperture and

higher frequency, it measured side wall lack of fusion defects,
ID notch height, as well as all longitudinal defect lengths more
precisely than the 2.25 MHz A17 probe.

The A26 2.25 MHz probe was capable of penetrating the

Inconel® 825 (nickel alloy) filler at 0-degree and 180-degree
skew angles.

Figure 7 — Demonstration block with transverse defects (5

mm (0.20 in.) diameter SDHs) at depths of 60 mm (2.36 in.),
70 mm (2.76 in.), and 80 mm (3.15 in.). Scan performed at
skew 180 degrees in filling material.

Figure 8 — Sectorial scan showing 5 mm (0.20 in.) diameter

SDHs at depths of 60 mm (2.36 in.), 70 mm (2.76 in.), and 80
mm (3.15 in.).

Products used for this application

OmniScan X3
The OmniScan™ X3 flaw detector is a complete phased array
toolbox. Innovative TFM delivers outstanding images that help
inspectors identify flaws with confidence while powerful
software features and simple workflows help you get to work
fast.

Dual Array Probes for Weld

Dual matrix array (DMA) probes consist of two matrix array
probes wired to the same connector with the capacity to
perform transmit-receive longitudinal (TRL) sound beams.
They are particularly helpful when testing cladded pipes or
highly attenuating materials.

OmniScan MX2
The OmniScan MX2 features a new phased array module
(PA2) with a UT channel, and a two-channel conventional
ultrasound module (UT2) that can be used for TOFD (Time-of-
Flight Diffraction), as well as new software programs that
expand the capabilities of the successful OmniScan MX2
platform.

Phased Array Probes

Phased array application-specific probes have a range from
0.5 MHz to 18 MHz and may come with 16, 32, 64, or 128
elements. Special probes may have up to hundreds of
elements.

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