Acoustic Emission

Diagnostics of Faulty Fusion in Welding

A.M. Apasov
1
, A.A. Apasov
2
1
Department of ferrous metals metallurgy, Yurga Institute of Technology
Tomsk Polytechnic University, Russia
2
Civil Engineering Company, Yurga, Russia
mchmyti@rambler.ru
Abstract - A brief analysis of faulty fusion in welding is
presented. A physical model revealing the mechanism of
generation of elastic mechanical waves which occur at the
moment of metal structure formation in faulty fusion is
suggested. As a result the phenomenon of inception of acoustic
emission was determined for the first time ever, the information-
bearing parameters characterizing real-time initiation of faulty
fusion amid existing disturbances were determined. It was found
out that in pulse argon arc welding of austenitic steel with
intense cooling of heat-affected zone, short compressing and
pulling stresses in metal during its crystallization take place.
This stresses are added to the stresses taking place in a faulty
fusion mouth and lead to rupture of interatomic bonds and
emission of elastic mechanical waves interpreted as acoustic
emission where acoustic emission signals are distributed by an
amplitude attribute. Besides it was determined that acoustic
emission signals originated by the processes of faulty fusion
initiation and development and the process of crack formation
registered in the same amplitude analyzer channel are
distributed by the number of acoustic emission impulses.
Keywords faulty fusion in welding, physical model, austenitic
steel, acoustic emission, signal, elastic mechanical waves, the
process of crack formation
I. INTRODUCTION
Defects in constructional elements which develop in
manufacture process can cause breakdowns of machines and
devices at a later stage [1]. Welding defects, particularly
faulty fusions, considerably reduce fatigue strength of metal
joint welds under cyclic loading [2-4], especially if faulty
fusions are located in residual tensile stress zones [4].
In general the influence of faulty fusions on static and
cyclic strength of constructional elements cannot be
determined only by means of calculations but requires
experimental justification.
The most common ultrasonic control method, including
shadowy, reflective-shadowy, echo-impulsive [5], has serious
drawbacks: temporary dead metal zone, impossibility to
diagnose welding process quality in real time and to
determine a defect nature by means of ultrasonic [6]. The
method of determining faulty fusions in welding by means of
acoustic emission signals has the following drawbacks:
1. The physical nature of faulty fusion generation is not
considered.
2. The mechanism of faulty fusion formation and
development is not worked out.
3. Acoustic emission pulse intensity showing the rate
of defect birth is used as an information-bearing
parameter. But the acoustic emission signal
parameter type that is characteristic directly for the
process of faulty fusion generation and development,
specifically in pulse argon-arc welding of
homogeneous metals, is not determined.
T Therefore the purpose of the work is theoretical and
experimental research of faulty fusion generation, formation
and development as well as record of these processes in real
time.
II. OBTAINING THERMAL ELASTISITY ON THE
FUSION LINE OF BASE METAL AND WELD BEAD
Ways to perform the designated task are the following [8-
12]. On the fusion line of the base metal and weld bead with
pulse heating and intensive cooling in welding homogeneous
metals quick changes in temperature field causes instant
thermal stresses (peaks). Thus this task can be qualified as an
unsteady one, therefore inertial terms should be considered as
they will considerably contribute to the final solution. Here
univariate task of obtaining thermal elasticity is solved. At
this, inertial terms in elastic media motion equation are
considered, and the unknown quantity resolves itself to the
familiar solution of the equation by Danilovskaja [13]. A
diagram of faulty fusion is shown in
Fig.1.
Figure 1. Faulty Fusion Chart
978-1-4673-1773-3/12/$31.00 2013 IEEE
The results showed that in instant (pulse) heating of the
elastic media edge there occur short-term tensile and
compressive stress sT
o.
If the inertial terms in elastic media
equation were not taken into consideration, stresses X
x
would
equal 0.
It should be noted that welding process in essence is a
technological operation which results in providing atomic
links of contact surfaces of two welded parts. In this
connection a spherelitic model of faulty fusion which shows
interatomic interaction distribution is presented in Fig.2.


Figure 2. Spherelitic model of faulty fusion which shows interatomic
interaction distribution

In particular each atom inside a crystal is held in its
position by bonds distributed symmetrically among
surrounding atoms. On a crystal free surface which is a result
of faulty fusion, an atom is placed close to other atoms in a
single plane and in a plane below, but there are no atoms
above. Consequently bonds which hold surface atoms are
irregular and the atoms cannot take the positions of
corresponding equilibrium condition and minimum crystal
energy. Thus the crystal structure on its free surface and
directly under it is distorted. Local distortion is a sign of
stored energy, just like similar distortions caused by external
loading. Such form of energy can be noted on all crystal free
surfaces, therefore it is called surface energy. Thus
interatomic interaction forces of the atoms located on a
crystal free surface are not balanced, and the atoms on a
faulty fusion surface are in a stress condition especially those
which are located in the faulty fusion opening.

III. CALCULATION OF ENERGY SPECTRUM OF
ACOUSTIC EMISSION FROM FAULTY FUSION
GENERATION SOURCES IN WELDING
As it has been noted above in instant (pulse) heating of the
elastic media edge (welded edges) there occurs short-term
tensile and compressive stress sT
o
which are added to stresses
in the opening of faulty fusion. As a result oscillation
amplitude indexes exceed the limit value, interatomic bonds
are broken, elastic mechanical waves are emitted and
registered be piezo converters of acoustic emission installed
on the surface close to the joint weld being controlled.
Therefore the information bearing parameter which
adequately characterizes faulty fusion generation process is
the acoustic emission energy spectrum defined through
quantum theory of solids.
As far as a joint weld is formed by fusion and
crystallization of metal on the edges of welded parts without
filler material in the beginning of the process the materials of
the heat-affected zone and the weld can be considered
homogeneous and correspondently isotropic. It means that
acoustic emission wave energy spectrum can be calculated
according to Tverskojs method [14]. It should be noted that
temperature oscillation energy stored upon reaching fusing
temperature is a potential energy of interatomic interaction.
When interatomic bonds are broken this energy is initially
converted into atom vibratory excitation on the surface of the
crack. Each excited atom can be considered as vibration of
three linear oscillators. W
0
showing the released energy of
interatomic bonds, the total energy of each oscillator for low
values of atom displacement amplitudes can be found from
the formula:
2 2
0
2
1
2
1
3
1
M W + = . (1)
The first member of the equation (1) presents the potential
deformation energy, where is a quasi-elastic force
coefficient. The second member presents kinetic energy,
where
-
is atom oscillation speed and M is its mass. In the
system oscillating under the action of elastic forces the
average kinetic energy equals the potential energy. Therefore
0
2
2
3
1
W = =
-
. (2)
The energy released in each atom bond breaking does not
concentrate on a separate atom but spread as distortional
waves. For a linear atom chain in breaking plane the
following equation can be valid:

-
+
+ =
i i
i i
M W
2
2
1 0
2
1
) (
2
1
3
1
. (3)
All atoms in the chain are added together. Boundary
conditions can be shown as rigid fixing of edge atoms:
0
1 0
= =
+ n
, (4)

Here it is supposed that the chain contains N+2 atoms and its
length is a N l + = ) 2 ( ( a being interatomic spacing).
To get an idea of the oscillation process it can be compared
with oscillations of a string fixed at both ends. Te oscillation
wave length equals 2l. Thus distortional waves can
correspond wave number k=1/(2l). It is evident that
1
2
1
<<
+
=
N
k
a
. (5)
In other words after breaking each bond long-wave
acoustic oscillation or phonon is generated from breaking
plane.
The number of generated phonons is determined by a
supposed equality of potential energy of atom excitation and
potential energy of conductivity electrons falling on an atom,
i.e. suppose that
2 *
max
2 ) ( c m k u = . (6)
Here m* is effective mass of an electron in the lattice; is the
speed of electromagnetic waves iv vacuum, is relative
concentration of conductivity electrons per an atom.
The final equation is
x E A N m f
A
2 / 1 2 2 2 1
) ( ) (
2
3 3
q

=

(7)
where f is oscillation frequency in mode;
relative concentration of conductivity electrons per
an atom;

m
m
*
= q relative effective electron mass;
m
*
effective electron mass in the lettice;
m electron mass;
N
A
Avogadros constant;
material atomic mass;
material density;
Komptons wave length for an electron;
= k dimensionless frequency analogue;
oscillator gas energy per a volume unit.
Thus when defining space density energy of interatomic
bonds by elasticity modulus and taking into consideration that
for most metals effective electron mass is close to free
electron mass and that conductivity electron concentration in
metals is close to atom concentration one can calculate the
frequency of phonon oscillation in mode or spectrum
effective width of acoustic emission.

IV. STUDY OF ACOUSTIC EMISSION PARAMETERS
CHARACTERIZING THE PROCESS OF GENERATION
AND DEVELOPMENT OF FAULTY FUSION IN
WELDING
In the process of welding it was found out that on
welding conditions which cause faulty fusion [15], the
number of acoustic emission pulses recorded on channel 73 is
considerably less than in crack formation and equals N

= 335
(Fig. 3).






















Figure 3. Amplitude distribution of acoustic emission signals emitted by faulty fusion in welding. Cycle period 12 seconds. Lsensor = 240 mm,
Iwelding = 40
Crack formation process in welding is characterized by
dramatic increase in acoustic emission pulse number on
channels 70-80 of amplitude analyzer. It proves that the
energy of crack generation, development and formation is
very high in comparison with the energy of metal fusion and
crystallization in welding. Maximum pulse number N
E
=606
falls on 73 channels, their amplitude being 356.24 mV.
Faulty fusion is proved by metallographic research. Fig.
4 shows a screen photo of metal
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81

N

microstructure with faulty fusion in weld root taken from
Austrian REICHERT microscope. Fig. 5 shows the same
from scanning electronic microscope -200.



Figure 4. Microstructure of metal with faulty fusion in weld root: steel
08181050; REICHERT microscope

Basing on experimental data of recording faulty fusion
by acoustic emission method and on simulation of faulty
fusion generation, formation and development in welding
austenitic steel a method of detecting faulty fusion has been
for the first time developed. The method consists in
receiving signals of acoustic emission arising in joint weld,
choosing the information bearing parameter which will
show the quality of a joint weld. Upon that amplitude
distribution of acoustic emission signals generated in atom
oscillation in a faulty fusion opening is chosen as the
information bearing parameter.
Besides one of the welded parts is fixed in an a tool so
that it can move vertically, and the other part is fixed rigidly,
at this signals of faulty fusion and crack formation recorded
in the same amplitude analyzer channel are distinguished
according to acoustic emission pulse number.

V. CONCLUSIONS
1. It is proved that in automatic argon-arc welding of
austenitic steels and intensive cooling of the heat affected
zone (along the fusion line) short-term tensile and
compressive stresses occur in metal and are added to
stresses in the faulty fusion opening. This phenomenon
causes breaking of interatomic bonds and emission of the
elastic mechanical wave treated as acoustic emission act.
2. It is proved that acoustic emission signals are
distributed according to amplitude criteria.
3. It is determined that acoustic emission signal of
faulty fusion generation, formation and development and
crack formation are distributed according to acoustic
emission pulse number.
















Figure 5. Microstructure of metal with faulty fusion in weld root:
steel 081810; 1800 in modulation mode; microscope -200

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