🔩 Fracture test of welded joints — breaking the joint through the weld (bending or tension) and assessment of gas pores, cracks, lack of fusion, lack of penetration and inclusions on the fracture surface, joints from 2 mm thick; PN-EN ISO 9017:2018-03

Materials and NDT PN-EN ISO 9017

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN card of PN-EN ISO 9017:2018-03, in full (our translation): "This document gives the specimen dimensions and the procedure for carrying out the fracture test in order to obtain information on the type, sizes and distribution of internal imperfections, such as gas pores, cracks, lack of fusion, lack of penetration and solid inclusions in the fracture surface. This document applies to all forms of products of metals with joints made by a welding process, with thicknesses greater than or equal to 2 mm." We read the content of the method in the sample extract of ISO 9017:2017 from the cover to clause 7.4 and Figure 5 (notch shapes) with the table of contents; we do not have clauses 8 (procedure for butt welds, fillet welds and welds of high ductility), 9 (result), 10 (test report) or Annex A (example of a test report).

ACCORDING TO THE TEXT OF ISO 9017:2017 (foreword, clauses 1–7.4). The standard was prepared by ISO/TC 44 "Welding and allied processes", SC 5 "Testing and inspection of welds"; the second edition replaced ISO 9017:2001 and changed mainly the normative references. References (2): ISO 5817 (quality levels for joints in steel, nickel, titanium and their alloys), ISO 10042 (joints in aluminium and its alloys) and ISO 17637 (visual testing of welded joints). Definitions (3): test length Lf (along the weld axis, between the side notches), test thickness af, test area Af = Lf × af, and their sums for all specimens from one test piece. Principle (4): the joint is broken through the weld in order to examine the fracture; the fracture is produced by bending or tension, by static or dynamic loading, and the notch dimensions and the temperature may be chosen so as to bring it about; unless otherwise specified, the test is carried out at ambient temperature (23 ± 5) °C. Designations (5): BW — butt weld, FW — fillet weld; side notch S, face notch F, root notch R, of square (q), round (r) or sharp (s) shape, e.g. "BW / (40 × 10) / Sr" or "FW / (40 × 10) / Fq". Dimensions of the test pieces (6) according to Figures 1–4, unless the product standard or an agreement specifies otherwise; for materials of high thermal conductivity (e.g. aluminium, copper) the dimension a ≥ 150 mm. Specimens (7): the test length and the test area and the number of specimens are specified by the product standard or an agreement; plates are cut transversely to the joint into specimens with similar weld lengths, with the axis of the butt weld in the middle; from pipes — at least two specimens, and in bending the same number with the root and with the face on the tension side; each test piece and each specimen is marked; 25 mm is discarded at both ends of the weld, unless information on the ends is needed (e.g. on the arc start and stop positions); steel is cut thermally or mechanically, other metals — only mechanically. Preparation (7.4): the fracture can be facilitated by removing the reinforcement, by notching both edges of the weld (side notch) or the reinforcement (longitudinal notch); for very ductile materials (e.g. aluminium, copper) sharp notches are recommended; unless otherwise specified, with a side notch Lf ≥ 70 % of the original specimen width or ΣLf ≥ 60 % of the specimen length, and with a longitudinal notch af ≥ 80 % of the specimen thickness.

STATUS (status of PKN cards as of 08.10.2026). The card of PN-EN ISO 9017:2018-03 (English version) has no withdrawal label: title "Destructive tests on welds in metallic materials -- Fracture test" (our translation), publication 27-03-2018, 26 pages, price group M, Metallurgy Sector, KT 165 Welding and Allied Processes, "Introduces: EN ISO 9017:2018 [IDT], ISO 9017:2017 [IDT]", "Replaces: PN-EN ISO 9017:2014-01 – English version", ICS 25.160.40. PKN search, term "ISO 9017" (08.10.2026): apart from it only the withdrawn edition 2014-01 (English version); there is no Polish version of any edition in the results.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database and current PCA documents, read on 08.10.2026). Number 9017 appears in 13 records at 11 laboratories; in the current PCA documents (issues from 23.04.2025 to 26.08.2026) — in 13 entries at the same laboratories (AB 001 and AB 1700 have two each); no entry is suspended. Notations: "PN-EN ISO 9017:2018-03" — 10 laboratories (AB 1700 in one entry alongside ASME BPVC.IX-2025, AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2025 and AWS D1.6/D1.6M:2017-AMD1), "PN-EN ISO 9017" without a year — AB 608. In the database copy the record of AB 1898 has in the methodology field the text of the neighbouring entry ("Tensile test at elevated temperature"); in the PCA document (issue 3 of 17.06.2026) the entry with this standard is "Size and distribution of welding imperfections on the internal fracture surface — Fracture test". The "Laboratories" tab ("PN-EN ISO 9017") shows all 11 laboratories.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (PCA documents). Type, size and distribution of (internal) welding imperfections on the fracture surface; subject: welded joints of metallic materials; technique — fracture test, at AB 042 "visual method" (assessment of the fracture).

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — fracture outside the weld: the purpose of the notch is to force the fracture in the weld (7.4); a specimen broken in the parent material does not show the imperfections of the weld, although formally it has been "broken". Second — too shallow or too deep a notch: the standard requires the test length with a side notch to be not less than 70 % of the width, and the test thickness with a longitudinal notch — not less than 80 % of the thickness; a deeper notch cuts part of the weld out of the assessment. Third — the ends of the weld: 25 mm sections at both ends are discarded, unless information precisely about the ends is needed (arc start and stop positions); assessing specimens from the ends without such an agreement covers a zone that the standard does not assess by default. Fourth — the way of cutting: the standard allows thermal cutting only for steel and requires other metals to be cut only mechanically (7.3) — an aluminium specimen cut thermally does not conform to the standard. Fifth — criteria: the standard itself gives the way of performing the test; the acceptability of imperfections is decided by the application standard (e.g. ISO 5817 or ISO 10042 cited in the references) — a report without an indication of the criterion does not say whether the joint meets the requirements.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We do not have clauses 8–10 and Annex A — we do not give the way of breaking thin and thick joints, the procedure for welds of high ductility, the dimensions from Figures 1–8, the way of expressing the result or the content of the report. We have not checked the status of ASME BPVC.IX, AWS D1.1 and AWS D1.6 — we list them only as notations from the scope.

Method principle

Specimens are cut from the test piece transversely to the weld, usually notched (side, face or root notch), and broken through the weld by bending or tension, by static or dynamic loading, by default at a temperature of (23 ± 5) °C; the type, size and distribution of internal imperfections are assessed on the fracture surface (ISO 9017:2017, clauses 1 and 4). It applies to joints in metals made by welding, at least 2 mm thick.

Applications

• Butt and fillet welded joints of plates and pipes of steel, aluminium, copper and other metals — assessment of the fracture; 11 laboratories in PCA scopes
• Tests of test pieces in the qualification of welders and welding procedures (the application standards specify the test length and the number of specimens)
• Supplement to visual testing (ISO 17637) and to assessments according to quality levels (ISO 5817, ISO 10042)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN ISO 9017:2018-03 (wersja angielska; wprowadza EN ISO 9017:2018 [IDT] i ISO 9017:2017 [IDT])

Title (PL)

Badania niszczące spawanych złączy metali — Próba łamania

Title (EN)

Destructive tests on welds in metallic materials — Fracture test

Step-by-step procedure

1. Test piece and specimens

   Dimensions according to Figures 1–4 or the application standard; mark the test piece and the specimens; discard 25 mm at the ends; cut transversely to the weld (7). PN-EN ISO 9017:2018-03 current (status of PKN cards as of 08.10.2026).

2. Notching

   Remove the reinforcement or notch at the side (Lf ≥ 70 % of the width) or longitudinally (af ≥ 80 % of the thickness), choose the notch shape according to the ductility of the weld (7.4).

3. Breaking

   Break the specimen through the weld by bending or tension at (23 ± 5) °C, unless otherwise specified; in bending — the same number of specimens with the root and with the face on the tension side (4, 7.1); WE DO NOT GIVE the details of clause 8.

4. Assessment of the fracture

   Describe the type, size and distribution of the imperfections on the fracture and compare with the criterion of the application standard (e.g. ISO 5817, ISO 10042); the way of recording the result (clause 9) — WE DO NOT GIVE.

Required equipment and apparatus

Health and safety (OHS)

• Breaking specimens (especially by dynamic loading) — guards against fragments, safety goggles
• TECHNICAL NOTE: the fracture must pass through the weld; the acceptability of imperfections is decided by the application standard, not by this standard

Frequently asked questions