ISO/TR 16060:2003

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.