ASTM E273-93
(Practice)Standard Practice for Ultrasonic Examination of the Weld Zone of Welded Pipe and Tubing
Standard Practice for Ultrasonic Examination of the Weld Zone of Welded Pipe and Tubing
SCOPE
1.1 This practice describes general ultrasonic examination procedures for the detection of discontinuities in the weld and adjacent heat affected zones of welded pipe and tubing by scanning with relative motion between the search unit and pipe or tube. When contact or unfocused immersion search units are employed, this practice is intended for tubular products having specified outside diameters ≥2 in. (≥50 mm) and specified wall thicknesses of 1/8to 1 1/16 in. (3 to 27 mm). When properly focused immersion search units are employed, this practice may also be applied to material of smaller diameter and thinner wall.Note 1—When contact or unfocused immersion search units are used, precautions should be exercised when examining pipes or tubes near the lower specified limits. Certain combinations of search unit size, frequency, thin-wall thicknesses, and small diameters could cause generation of unwanted sound waves that may produce erroneous examination results.
1.2 All surfaces of material to be examined in accordance with this practice shall be clean from scale, dirt, burrs, slag, spatter or other conditions that would interfere with the examination results. The configuration of the weld must be such that interfering signals are not generated by reflections from it. Treatment of the inner surface and outer surface weld beads such as trimming ("scarfing") or rolling is often required to remove protuberances that could result in spurious reflections.
1.3 This practice does not establish acceptance criteria, they must be specified by the using parties.
1.4 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The SI equivalents are in parentheses and may be approximate.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
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Designation: E 273 – 93 An American National Standard
Standard Practice for
Ultrasonic Examination of Longitudinal Welded Pipe and
Tubing
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 273; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
1. Scope
1.1 This practice describes general ultrasonic test proce-
dures for the detection of discontinuities in the weld and
adjacent heat affected zones of pipe and tubing. It is intended
for tubular products having diameters $2 in. ($50 mm) and
1 1
wall thicknesses of ⁄8 to 1 ⁄16 in. (3 to 27 mm).
1.2 This practice does not establish acceptance criteria, they
must be specified by the using parties.
NOTE 1—Precautions should be exercised when testing pipes or tubes
near the lower specified limits. Certain combinations of search unit size,
frequency, thin wall thicknesses, and small diameters could cause genera-
tion of unwanted sound waves that may produce erroneous test results.
1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded
as the standard.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
NOTE 1—u5 35° through 70°.
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
FIG. 1 Angle Projection of Ultrasonic Wave
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
wall for both contact and immersion testing using a single
2. Referenced Documents
search unit.
2.1 ASTM Standards:
NOTE 2—Immersion test method may include tanks, wheel search units,
E 543 Practice for Evaluating Agencies that Perform Non-
or bubbler systems.
destructive Testing
4.2 Variations of the single search unit method using mul-
E 1316 Terminology for Nondestructive Examinations
tiple search units with the same or various angles and special
3. Terminology
gating are sometimes desirable and may be necessary for
efficient examination of thicker wall material.
3.1 Definitions—For definitions of terms used in this prac-
tice, see Terminology E 1316.
5. Apparatus
4. Summary of Practice
5.1 The instruments and accessory equipment shall be
capable of producing, receiving, amplifying, and displaying
4.1 Angle projection of pulsed ultrasonic beam by either the
electrical pulses at frequencies and pulse rates deemed neces-
surface contact or immersion method shall be used. Fig. 1
sary by the using parties. They shall be capable of distinguish-
illustrates the characteristic oblique sound entry into the pipe
ing the reference reflectors described in Section 7 to the extent
required in the calibration procedure outlined in Section 8.
5.2 For pulse echo test systems, the contact or immersion
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E-7 on Nonde-
search units should produce ultrasonic waves that travel in the
structive Testing and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E07.06 on
pipe or tube wall at a refracted angle of from 35° to 70° and
Ultrasonic Method.
Current edition approved Sept. 15, 1993. Published November 1993. Originally
perpendicular to the weld seam. For pitch/catch or through
published as E 273 – 65 T. Last previous edition E 273 – 83 (1989).
transmission test systems, orientation of the entry sound beam
For ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code applications see related Practice
other than perpendicular to the weld seam may be required.
SE-273 in Section II of that Code.
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 03.03. 5.3 Couplant—A liquid such as water, oil, glycerin, etc.,
Copyright © ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
E 273
capable of conducting ultrasonic vibrations from the transducer reference reflectors, they shall be placed in the crown of the
to the pipe or tube shall be used. Rust inhibitors, softeners, and fusion-weld bead as shown in Fig. 2(a). In fusion-welded pipe
wetting agents may be added to the couplant. The couplant containing both inside and outside surface weld beads, a
liquid with all additives should not be detrimental to the longitudinal notch reference reflector shall be placed in the
surface condition of the pipe or tubing and should wet the weld-bead crown on both the outside and inside surfaces.
surface. In the testing of electric-resistance-welded pipe, water- 8.1.2.1 When drilled holes are employed, they shall be
soluble oil used in cooling the pipe serves as a satisfactory drilled radially from both the outside and inside surfaces
couplant. through 50 % of the wall thickness at the weld-bead crown and
5.4 Distance Amplitude Compensation—The use of elec- separated by some distance that guarantees a distinct and
tronic methods to compensate for attenuation losses as a separate response from each one (see Fig. 2(c) and Fig. 2(d)).
function of ultrasonic metal travel distance may be employed. A hole drilled radially 100 % through the pipe wall may be
used instead of the 50 % drilled hole (see Fig. 2(e)).
6. Basis of Application
8.1.2.2 Additional reflectors may be used to define weld
6.1 The following are items that require decision for use of
extremities. Holes shall be drilled radially 100 % through the
this practice: pipe wall at the weld edges. As an alternative, longitudinal
6.1.1 Acceptance criteria,
notches shall be placed at the edges of each weld (see Fig. 2(f)).
6.1.2 Type, dimension, and number of reference reflectors to The weld-edge drilled holes or notches shall be separated by
be placed in the reference standard,
some distance to ensure that the response from one reflector
6.1.3 Standardization of test sensitivity intervals, does not interfere with that from another (see Fig. 2(g)). The
6.1.4 Operator qualifications, weld-edge reflectors are solely for the purpose of defining the
6.1.5 Qualification of NDT agency (as defined in Practice
position of the weld extremities and are not to be used for
E 543), if required. Practice E 543 may be used for this agency amplitude standardization.
qualification.
8.2 The notch dimension of length, decided depth, width,
6.1.6 Test frequency, and for Fig. 3(a) and Fig. 3(b) the included angle a must be
6.1.7 Pulse repetition rate,
decided upon by the using party or parties. Fig. 3 illustrates the
6.1.8 Sound beam orientation and number of beams used, commonly accepted notch configurations and the dimensions
6.1.9 Procedure and use of distance amplitude compensa-
to be measured.
tion, and 8.2.1 The notch depth (h) shall be measured f
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