A non-destructive plastic butt weld inspection method in which the weld bead (42) is removed from an exterior surface of a weld zone region (44) of a butt weld and the weld zone region (44) is heated to a temperature sufficient to visualize the weld zone (44). After heating, defective joints are readily identified by the appearance of a bond line (40) in the weld zone (44) while satisfactory joints merely show the weld zone (44) with no evidence of a bond line (40). Surface irregularities such as ridges (46) and indentations (48) may also form in the weld zone during the heating step.
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