UT and X-Ray for PE-Pipes http://www.ndt.net/article/twi/twi.

htm

NDTnet - April 1996, Vol.1 No.04

Eddy Current
Probes

Ultrasonic
Inspection
by I.J. Munns and G.A. Georgiou TWI, Abington UK
Acoustic Emission
Testing
Abstract
Nondestructive
Testing This paper summarises work at TWI on NDT of butt fusion welds in polyethylene and
compares this work with results from other published literature on this topic. The
Eddy Current major objectives of this study were to develop ultrasonic and radiographic testing
Testing procedures for the inspection of butt fusion welds in polyethylene pipe systems. The
procedures were developed on pipes with diameters greater than 180mm and
Eddy Current thicknesses greater than 12mm. The underlying techniques, however, can be used on
testpieces other than pipes, and on a range of different polyethylene types and
Non-destructive thicknesses.
Testing
Table of contents

1. Background
2. Ultrasonic
NDT

2.1.
Background
2.2. Work at
TWI
2.2.1. Pulse-echo compression wave technique
2.2.2. Pulse-echo creeping wave technique
2.2.3. The tandem technique
2.2.4. Time-of-flight-diffraction (TOFD) technique
2.3. Comparison with other studies

Radiographic NDT

3.1. Background
3.2. Work at TWI
3.3. Comparison with other studies

Conclusions

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References
Related Searches:
Nondestructive
Evaluation
1. BACKGROUND

The use of polyethylene in the gas, water and chemical process industries has
Eddy Current
increased dramatically over the past two decades. This is largely due to the impetus
Probes
provided by the British and American gas industries who have selected polyethylene
as a material to replace metallic distribution pipelines. Apart from distribution
Ultrasonic
pipelines, polyethylene is also used for insertion repairs on leaking cast iron mains.
Inspection
The popularity of plastic piping can be attributed to its lightness, flexibility and good
Acoustic Emission Corrosion resistance, as well as the ease with which it can be joined. Pipes with a
Testing diameter <250mm are normally joined using an electrofusion process. For areas where
the application is critical or the pipes are of larger diameter (>250mm) and of thicker
Nondestructive section, the hot plate butt fusion process is preferred. Both of these heat fusion
Testing processes are capable of producing a joint with mechanical properties approximately
equivalent to those of the parent material (1).
Eddy Current
Testing The quality of butt fusion joints in polyethyleiie pipe systems is primarily governed by
control of the process parameters during welding. However, as new polyethylene
Eddy Current materials are introduced (e.g. PE100) and increased demands are placed on existing
polyethylene materials, there is an additional need to monitor quality through reliable
Non-destructive non-destructive testing (NDT) methods (2,3). At present there are no nationally
Testing accepted Standards for the NDT of welds in polyethylene. The most widely used
technique is a visual inspection of the outer weld bead. This method is sensitive to
those embedded flaws which manifest themselves in the weld bead and to gross flaws,
such as pipe misalignment. Attempts have been made to use more quantitative
methods of weld examination. For example, X-ray radiography has been used to
inspect butt welds in large diameter pipe (4) and an automated ultrasonic inspection
tool exists for inspecting welds in smaller diameter (50-100mm) gas distribution
pipeline (5). At one stage a guideline standard (ASTM F600-78) for the manual
ultrasonic inspection of butt fusion welds in polyethylene pipe was introduced.
Unfortunately, the results obtained using this standard were so heavily dependent upon
the skill of the operator that it was withdrawn in 1991.

The authors

Ion Munns
Ian Munns graduated from the University of Hertfordshire in 1992 and joined TWI
later that year. Since then he has been widely involved with the NDT of plastics,
composites, ceramics and adhesively bonded joints. Ian is currently working in the

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UT and X-Ray for PE-Pipes http://www.ndt.net/article/twi/twi.htm

./Numerical Modelling Section in the Structural Integrity Department. E-Mail:

Nondestructive
Evaluation

Eddy Current
Probes
George Georgiou
Ultrasonic George Georgiou graduated from Imperial College in Mathematics in 1972, and
Inspection stayed on further year as a research student studying theoretical fluid dynamics. He
was a full-time mathematics lecturer at Tottenham College of Technology until 1983,
Acoustic Emission gaining his PhD in 1982. Since 1990 he has worked at TWI on a variety of NDT
Testing related problems. In particular he is working on NDT of plastics, sprayed coatings
and adhesives and is currently involved with BSI and CEN committees which are
Nondestructive drafting standards for ultrasonic inspection of welds.
Testing TWI - Homepage World Centre for Materials Joining Technology.
E-Mail from TWI: [email protected]
Eddy Current
Testing
| Frontpage | |Top to this page|
Eddy Current
Rolf Diederichs 1.March.1996, [email protected]
Non-destructive /DB:Article /AU:Munns_I_J /AU:Georgiou_G_A /CN:UK /CT:UT /CT:RT /CT:weld /CT:plastic /ED:1996-04

Testing

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