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Radiography
ControllingRadiographicQuality
Introduction
Oneofthemethodsofcontrollingthequalityofaradiographisthroughtheuse History
ofimagequalityindicators(IQIs).IQIs,whicharealsoreferredtoas PresentState
penetrameters,provideameansofvisuallyinformingthefilminterpreterofthe FutureDirection
contrastsensitivityanddefinitionoftheradiograph.TheIQIindicatesthata
specifiedamountofchangeinmaterialthicknesswillbedetectableinthe Physicsof
radiograph,andthattheradiographhasacertainlevelofdefinitionsothatthe Radiography
densitychangesarenotlostduetounsharpness.Withoutsuchareference NatureofPenetrating
point,consistencyandqualitycouldnotbemaintainedanddefectscouldgo Radiation
undetected. Xrays
GammaRays
Imagequalityindicatorstakemanyshapesandformsduetothevariouscodes Activity
orstandardsthatinvoketheiruse.IntheUnitedStates,twoIQIstylesare DecayRate
prevalent:theplacard,orholetypeandthewireIQI.IQIscomesinavarietyof Carbon14Dating
materialtypessothatonewithradiationabsorptioncharacteristicssimilartotheIonization
materialbeingradiographedcanbeused. InverseSquareLaw
Interactionof
RT/Matter
Attenuation
Coefficient
HalfValueLayer
Sourcesof
Attenuation
Compton
Scattering
Geometric
Unsharpness

Filtersin
Radiography
HoleTypeIQIs Scatter/Radiation
Control
ASTMStandardE1025givesdetailedrequirementsforthe RadiationSafety
designandmaterialgroupclassificationofholetypeimage
qualityindicators.E1025designateseightgroupsofshims Equipment&
basedontheirradiationabsorptioncharacteristics.Anotching Materials
systemisincorporatedintotherequirements,whichallows XrayGenerators
theradiographertoeasilydetermineiftheIQIisthecorrect RadioIsotope
materialtypefortheproduct.ThenotchesintheIQItothe Sources
rightindicatethatitismadeofaluminum.Thethicknessin RadiographicFilm
thousandsofaninchisnotedoneachpentameterbyoneor ExposureVaults
moreleadnumber.TheIQItotherightis0.005inchthick.
IQIsmayalsobemanufacturedtoamilitaryorotherindustry Techniques&
specificationandthematerialtypeandthicknessmaybe Calibrations
indicateddifferently.Forexample,theIQIontheleftinthe Imaging
imageaboveusesleadletterstoindicatethematerial.The Consideration
numbersonthissameIQIindicatethesamplethicknessthat Contrast
theIQIwouldtypicallybeplacedonwhenattemptingtoachievetwopercent Definition
contrastsensitivity. RadiographicDensity
CharacteristicCurves
Imagequalitylevelsaretypicallydesignatedusingatwopartexpressionsuch Exposure
as22T.ThefirsttermreferstotheIQIthicknessexpressedasapercentageof Calculations
theregionofinterestofthepartbeinginspected.Thesecondterminthe ControllingQuality
expressionreferstothediameteroftheholethatmustberevealedanditis FilmProcessing
expressedasamultipleoftheIQIthickness.Therefore,a22Tcalloutwould ViewingRadiographs
meanthattheshimthicknessshouldbetwopercentofthematerialthickness RadiographInterp
andthataholethatistwicetheIQIthicknessmustbedetectableonthe Welds
radiograph.Thispresentationofa22TIQIintheradiographverifiesthatthe RadiographInterp
radiographictechniqueiscapableofshowingamateriallossof2%inthearea Castings
ofinterest.
Advanced
Itshouldbenotedthatevenif22Tsensitivityisindicatedonaradiograph,a Techniques
defectofthesamediameterandmateriallossmaynotbevisible.Theholesin Realtime
theIQIrepresentsharpboundaries,andasmallthicknesschange. Radiography
Discontinueswithinthepartmaycontaingradualchangesandareoftenless Computed
visible.TheIQIisusedtoindicatethequalityoftheradiographictechniqueand Tomography
notintendedtobeusedasameasureofthesizeofacavitythatcanbelocated XRSIM
ontheradiograph.
References
WireIQIs
Quizzes

ASTMStandardE747coverstheradiographicexaminationofmaterialsusing
wireIQIstocontrolimagequality.WireIQIsconsistofasetofsixwires
arrangedinorderofincreasingdiameterandencapsulatedbetweentwosheets
ofclearplastic.E747specifiesfourwireIQIsets,whichcontrolthewire
diameters.Thesetletter(A,B,CorD)isshowninthelowerrightcornerofthe
IQI.Thenumberinthelowerleftcornerindicatesthematerialgroup.Thesame
imagequalitylevelsandexpressions(i.e.22T)usedforholetypeIQIsare
typicallyalsousedforwireIQIs.Thewiresizesthatcorrespondtovarioushole
typequalitylevelscanbefoundinatableinE747orcanbecalculatedusing
thefollowingformula.

Where:
F=0.79(constantformfactorforwire)
d=wirediameter(mmorinch)
l=7.6mmor0.3inch(effectivelengthofwire)
T=HoletypeIQIthickness(mmorinch)
H=HoletypeIQIholediameter(mmorinch)

PlacementofIQIs

IQIsshouldbeplacedonthesourcesideofthepartoverasectionwitha
materialthicknessequivalenttotheregionofinterest.Ifthisisnotpossible,the
IQImaybeplacedonablockofsimilarmaterialandthicknesstotheregionof
interest.Whenablockisused,theIQIshouldbethesamedistancefromthe
filmasitwouldbeifplaceddirectlyonthepartintheregionofinterest.TheIQI
shouldalsobeplacedslightlyawayfromtheedgeofthepartsothatatleast
threeofitsedgesarevisibleintheradiograph.


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