METHODS OF USING NONDESTRUCTIVE MATERIAL INSPECTION SYSTEMS

Provided is a method of utilizing a nondestructive evaluation method to inspect/screen steel components (like plates), steel metal pipes, and seam welds and girth welds of the pipes to identify material phases and assess material qualities. The method includes: providing a DC magnetic field from a magnet to a steel plate, pipe, or weld composed of at least one hysteretic ferromagnetic material followed by scanning the plate, pipe, or weld and recording magnetic responses from two or more suitable sensors disposed at locations with different magnetic field strengths in the regions of interest configured to receive magnetic responses; and correlating all the said received magnetic responses to one or more material qualities and/or material phases of the plate, pipe, or weld. The one or more material qualities includes regions of higher hardness, regions of metal loss, regions of surface cracks, amount of undesirable phases, and combinations thereof.