ISO 16823-2025 PDF

Full title and description

St ISO 16823-2025 — Non-destructive testing — Ultrasonic testing — Through-transmission technique. This international standard specifies the principles of ultrasonic through-transmission techniques used for detection of discontinuities and determination of sound attenuation, typically applied to flat products such as plates and sheets.

Abstract

This document sets out the principles and general guidance for performing ultrasonic through-transmission testing. It describes the technique's principal uses (detection of discontinuities and measurement of sound attenuation), typical application areas (flat products, thin objects, and materials with high attenuation) and notes its relationship to the general ultrasonic testing principles given in ISO 16810.

General information

• Status: Published
• Publication date: January 2025
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• ICS / categories: 19.100 — Non-destructive testing
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (2025)
• Number of pages: 12

Technical committee: ISO/TC 135/SC 3. This edition replaces the previous ISO 16823:2012 edition.

Scope

Specifies the principles of ultrasonic through-transmission (transmission) techniques for industrial testing. The technique is intended primarily for flat products (plates, sheets) and is suitable where reflection methods are ineffective — for example when discontinuity geometry or orientation is unfavourable for reflection, for materials with high acoustic attenuation, or for thin test objects. The standard complements general ultrasonic testing requirements given in ISO 16810.

Key topics and requirements

• Fundamental principles of through-transmission ultrasonic testing (wave propagation, transmission measurement).
• Applications: detection of discontinuities (inhomogeneities, inclusions, porosity) and determination of sound attenuation.
• Recommended equipment and basic setup considerations for through-transmission testing (transducer selection, alignment, coupling methods).
• Calibration and reference procedures to enable repeatable attenuation and sensitivity measurements.
• Operational limitations (effects of material attenuation, thickness constraints, geometry) and guidance on when through-transmission is preferred over pulse-echo.
• Basic guidance on signal interpretation and reporting of results.

Typical use and users

Used by NDT engineers, inspection and quality-control personnel, materials engineers, and testing laboratories working with metal, composite and other industrial flat products. Typical applications include production inspection of plates and sheets, laboratory characterization of material attenuation, and cases where pulse-echo methods are impractical. The standard provides introductory-to-practical guidance to support consistent testing and reporting.

Related standards

Closely related to ISO 16810 (general principles for ultrasonic testing) and to standards covering NDT personnel qualification and certification (for example ISO 9712). National and regional adoptions (EN/ISO variants) exist and may include additional application-level guidance or annexes.

Keywords

non-destructive testing, ultrasonic testing, through-transmission, transmission technique, attenuation, plates, sheets, NDT, calibration, signal interpretation.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 16823:2025 (St ISO 16823-2025) is an international standard that describes the principles and general guidance for ultrasonic through-transmission (transmission) testing used in non-destructive testing.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers the principles of through-transmission ultrasonic techniques, their primary uses (detection of discontinuities and measurement of sound attenuation), typical applications (flat products, thin objects, high-attenuation materials) and how the technique relates to general ultrasonic testing requirements.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: NDT practitioners, inspection and quality-control teams, materials laboratories, and engineers involved in testing plates, sheets and other flat components where through-transmission is appropriate.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: Current — this is Edition 2 published in January 2025; it replaces the earlier ISO 16823:2012 edition.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It forms part of the ISO 168xx family addressing ultrasonic testing (for example ISO 16810 for general ultrasonic testing principles) and sits alongside related ISO standards for NDT methods and personnel qualification.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Non-destructive testing, ultrasonic testing, through-transmission, transmission technique, attenuation, plates, sheets, NDT calibration.