Assessing Mottled Indications when Digitally Radiographing Austenitic Stainless Steel Welds

When radiographing an austenitic stainless steel weld with an appreciable weld deposit size, selecting a low radiographic kilovoltage (keV) can contribute to producing a radiographic indication that is not an imperfection. The contributors to this mottled condition are both radiographical and metallurgical. Electrons from low keV can diffract or absorb when penetrating through the dendritic grain structure of a weld. The increase in keV, or using gamma ray–equivalent isotopes, produces a marked change in electron output and penetration in material.