AWS Welding Inspection and Testing Certification Practice Test

Slag trapped in a weld is an example of?

1. Porosity

2. Inclusions

3. Entrapment

4. Stress risers

The correct answer is: Inclusions

Slag trapped in a weld falls under the category of inclusions. Inclusions refer to any unwanted materials that become trapped within the weld metal during the welding process. These materials can originate from the flux used in the welding process, which can create a layer of slag that, if not properly removed after welding, can become enmeshed in the weld bead itself. Inclusions like slag can negatively affect the mechanical properties of a weld, such as strength and ductility, as they can create weak points within the metal. It is important to thoroughly clean the welded joint to remove any slag or other inclusions before proceeding with further processing, such as final inspections or applications of the welded component. The other choices do not accurately describe this phenomenon: porosity specifically refers to gas pockets that form within the weld, entrapment generally indicates any kind of trapped substance, which may not exclusively refer to slag, and stress risers are geometric discontinuities in a material that can lead to failure under load, rather than a type of contamination within the weld itself.