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.

To learn more about the basics of Radiography Testing Read our

Article INTRODUCTION TO RADIOGRAPHIC TESTING(RT).

To learn more about History of NDT methods, read our blog

HISTORY OF NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING(NDT)

Note: Whole procedure in one blog can lead to a very long blog,
hence the procedure is written in parts.

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.

Improper Surface preparation

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

Improper Weld surface Preparation

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.

Backscatter Radiation

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.

Lead Letter “B”

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.
Example : Identification System

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.

Note: The identification system does not necessarily require

that the information appears as radiographic images.

Caution: In any case, this information shall not obscure the area
of interest.

INTENSIFYING SCREENS
Intensifying screen: a material that converts a part of the
radiographic energy into light or electrons and that, when in contact
with a recording medium during exposure, improves the quality of
the radiograph, or reduces the exposure time required to produce a
radiograph or both.

Types of intensifying Screen:

Metallic Foil Screens

Other Metallic Screen Materials
Fluorescent 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.

RADAC made Lead Screen

The selection of lead screen thickness, or for that matter, any

metallic screen thickness, is subject to the considerations as
follows

The material radiographed.

The thickness of the material radiographed.
Variation of the thickness of the material radiographed.
The energy spectrum of the radiation used.
The improvement desired

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.

Copper Screen

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.

Intensification action of Fluorescent Screens

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.

Caution: All screens should be handled carefully to avoid dents

and scratches, dirt, or grease on active surfaces. Screens
showing evidence of physical damage should be discarded.

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.

Types of IQI

Hole Type: a rectangular plaque, made of material

radiographically similar to that of the object being
radiographed, with small diameter holes (1T, 2T, and 4T) used
to check the image quality of the radiograph.
Wire Type: a set of small diameter wires, made of material
radiographically similar to that of the object being
radiographed, used to check the image quality of the
radiograph.

Hole Type IQI:

Hole type IQI Design

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

Note: ASME standard IQI’s shall consist of those in Table T-

233.1.

Wire type IQI

Wire Type IQI Design
Reference: SE 747

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.
Selection of IQI
Ref: ASME BPVC Article 2

(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.
UW-35 FINISHED LONGITUDINAL AND
CIRCUMFERENTIAL JOINTS
ASME BPVC Sec-VIII Div-1

(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.

Example of welds with and without Reinforcement

However with regard to (a) and (b) above, when the actual
material/weld thickness is measured, IQI selection may be
based on these known values.

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.

Equivalent Hole type IQI

Ref : ASME BPVC Article 2

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.

For Example :

To find Equivalent sensitivity of 2-2T quality level,

n=2
if 2T hole of the IQI is visible on the radiograph

ES = 2 x (√2T/2T)
=2%
If you want to find Value of “n” for a given Hole type
IQI, it is given by the formula

Formula to calculate
“n” value for given IQI and Thickness

Calculation of sensitivity For wire type IQI

sensitivity of Wire type IQI

Note 1: If IQI’s of material radiographically similar to that being

examined are not available, IQI’s of the required dimensions but of a
lower-absorption material may be used.

Note 2: The quality level required using wire IQI’s shall be equivalent
to the 2-2T level of Practice E1025 unless a higher or lower quality
level is agreed upon between purchaser and supplier.

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

Density Limitations

The transmitted film density through the radiographic image of the

body of

The designated hole-type IQI adjacent to the essential hole or

adjacent to the essential wire of a wire-type IQI and the area of
interest shall be

1.8 minimum for single film viewing for radiographs made with
an X-ray source
2.0 minimum for radiographs made with a gamma-ray source.
1.3 minimum density in each film of for composite viewing of
multiple film exposures, each
The maxim.um density shall be 4.0 for either single or
composite viewing.

A tolerance of 0.05 in density is allowed for variations between

densitometer readings.

composite viewing: the viewing of two or more superimposed

radiographs from a multiple film exposure.

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

Density of Radiographs shall be monitored using

Densitometer: a device for measuring the optical density of

radiograph film.

or

step wedge comparison film: a radiographic image of a

mechanical step wedge with precise thickness increments and
may be used to correlate optical film density to the thickness of
the material, also known as a step tablet.

Heiland Densitometer TRDZ 1

Source: wikipedia
AGFA Certified Denstep

Calibration of Densitometers
Densitometers shall be calibrated at least every 3 months
during use as follows:

A national standard step tablet or a step wedge calibration film,

traceable to a national standard step tablet and having at least
five steps with neutral densities from at least 1.0 through 4.0,
shall be used.

The step wedge calibration film shall have been verified within
the last year by comparison with a national standard step tablet
unless, prior to first use, it was maintained in the original light-
tight and waterproof sealed package as supplied by the
manufacturer.

Step wedge calibration films may be used without verification

for one year upon opening, provided it is within the
manufacturer’s stated shelf life.
The densitometer manufacturer’s step-by-step instructions for
the operation of the densitometer shall be followed.
 The density steps closest to 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 on the
national standard step tablet or step wedge calibration film
shall be read.
The densitometer is acceptable if the density readings do not
vary by more than ±0.05 density units from the actual density
stated on the national standard step tablet or step wedge
calibration film.

Note: Periodic calibration verification checks shall be performed as

described at the beginning of each shift, after 8 hr of continuous
use, or after the change of apertures, whichever comes first.

Calibration of Step wedge comparison films

Step wedge comparison films shall be verified prior to first use
unless performed by the manufacturer, as follows:

(a) The density of the steps on a step wedge comparison film shall
be verified by a calibrated densitometer.

(b) The step wedge comparison film is acceptable if the density

readings do not vary by more than ±0.1 density units from the
density stated on the step wedge comparison film.

Verification checks shall be performed annually for Periodic

Verification.

Quick Tip: as mentioned above that step wedge comparison

films are only to be calibrated when then manufacturer doesn’t
provide you calibration certificate. Usually, all the
manufacturers provide calibration certificates of the step
wedge comparison film and are used for periodic calibration of
Densitometers.
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