Overview
ISO/TR 16060:2003 - Destructive tests on welds in metallic materials: Etchants for macroscopic and microscopic examination - is an informative Technical Report that lists etchants suitable for examining welds in accordance with ISO 17639. It provides a non‑exhaustive catalogue of chemical etchants and practical guidance for a broad range of metallic groups: carbon and low‑alloy steels, stainless steels, nickel and nickel alloys, titanium and titanium alloys, copper and copper alloys, and aluminium and aluminium alloys.
Key topics
- Scope and purpose: Informative list of etchants for macroscopic and microscopic weld examination (per ISO 17639).
- Material groups covered: Carbon/low‑alloy steels, stainless steels, nickel alloys, titanium alloys, copper alloys, aluminium alloys.
- Annex structure: Annexes A–F present etchants by material group; Annex G gives designation rules (names or table numbers).
- Etchant data provided: Composition, order of mixing, surface preparation (grit/polish), etching temperature and time, safe shelf life, precautions and comments (e.g., Nital, Picral, oxalic acid, thiocyanate).
- General guidance: Table of reagent characteristics (concentration, specific gravity, hydrates) and safety/disposal reminders.
- Nature of the document: Technical Report (informative), not a normative standard - intended as practical reference rather than prescriptive requirements.
Practical applications
- Metallographic labs performing macroscopic and microscopic examination of welds will use ISO/TR 16060:2003 to select appropriate etchants for revealing weld structure, heat‑affected zones (HAZ), carbides, grain boundaries and segregation.
- Common practical etchants included: Nital (widely used for steels), Picral (carbide and fine‑structure detection), oxalic acid and thiocyanate solutions for stainless steels, plus specific recipes for copper, aluminium, titanium and nickel alloys.
- The report helps optimize surface preparation, etching time and concentration to obtain clear contrast without over‑etching; it also highlights safety precautions for handling mineral acids and peroxides.
Who should use this
- Welding inspectors and NDT professionals conducting destructive weld testing
- Metallographers and materials scientists in QC, failure analysis and R&D
- Laboratory technicians preparing specimens per ISO 17639
- Fabrication and welding engineers needing reliable etching options for metallographic evaluation
Related standards
- ISO 17639 - Destructive tests on welds in metallic materials: Macroscopic and microscopic examination of welds (normative reference for procedure)
- ISO/TR 16060:2003 is an informative companion listing etchants; users should follow ISO 17639 for test execution and acceptance criteria.
Keywords: ISO/TR 16060:2003, etchants, weld examination, macroscopic etching, microscopic etching, Nital, Picral, metallography, ISO 17639, welds in metallic materials.