A very good definition of defects position and dimension in welded joints is desirable for application of
fracture mechanics techniques and improvement of industrial acceptability criteria. This paper illustrates the
preliminary results obtained in the investigation of defects in aluminum welded joints at SYRMEP beamline of the
Elettra synchrotron radiation facility in Trieste (Italy). The novel PHase Contrast (PHC) imaging technique
consents a definition of the defects better than the one achievable with conventional welded joints control methods
such as ultrasonic techniques, acoustic emission and radiography.
