PT 2005

Liquid Penetrant Inspection
TWI
Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March
World Centre for Materials Joining Technology
Liquid Penetrant Inspection

A.K.A. (DPI) (PFD) Dye Penetrant Inspection
Penetrant Flaw Detection

Penetrant Testing (PT)
Surface inspection method Applicable to all non-porous, non-absorbing materials
6 Steps in Penetrant flaw detection
Surface preparation Penetrant application Removal of excess penetrant Application of developer Inspection Post cleaning and protection
1. Surface Preparation
Physical Methods Chemical Methods
Scale Slag Corrosion products Carbon

Oils and Greases Paints
Chemical Methods
Vapour Degreasing Hot Solvent Degreasing Cold solvent Degreasing Solvent materials with Emulsifiers Acid / Alkaline Cleaning Steam cleaning Paint Removal
2. Penetrant Application
Penetrating fluid applied to component and drawn into defect by capillary action
Penetrant Application
Critical factors:
Penetration / Dwell time
Component Temperature
Principle : Capillary Action

Interaction of adhesive and cohesive forces
Sometimes called:
CAPILLARITY
Principle : Capillary Action

Interaction of adhesive and cohesive forces
Penetrant Properties
Good Wetting Ability High Surface Tension Viscosity
Wetting Ability
Liquids having good wetting ability have a low contact angle. Liquids having a contact angle of 90 or less will act as penetrants. Contact angle is strongly affected by surface cleanliness.
CONTACT ANGLE
CONTACT ANGLE
CONTACT ANGLE
LOW
HIGH
Surface Tension
HIGH
LOW
Surface Tension
Strongly affected by contamination
Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of internal friction It affects the rate at which a liquid flows Viscosity has a strong effect on the time taken for capillary action to work A high viscosity penetrant will require a longer contact time and a longer development time A low viscosity penetrant may drain too quickly from vertical or overhead surfaces
Types of Penetrant
Colour Contrast Fluorescent All other factors being equal, fluorescent penetrants provide the best sensitivity Each of the above may be water washable, solvent removable or postemulsifiable (in order of increasing sensitivity)
2. Penetrant Application
Preceded by a visual inspection Spraying
Methods
Brushing
Immersion
Penetrant application
Electrostatic spraying
Special Methods
Thixotropic penetrants
3. Removal of Excess Penetrant

Penetrating fluid applied to component and drawn into defect by capillary action
Penetrating fluid removed from component surface (but not from defect)
Removal of Excess Penetrant

Water washable Solvent Removable Post Emulsifiable
Penetrants are formulated for removal by one or sometimes more than one of the above.

Water Washable Penetrant
Minimise mechanical action Spray wash

Pressure as low as possible Temperature less than 50C
Water Washable Penetrant

ADVANTAGES Usable on rough surfaces Suitable for batch testing Cheaper than other methods DISADVANTAGES Susceptible to over washing Least sensitive method Requirement for a water source
Post Emulsifiable Penetrant

Stages
Immerse component in penetrant
Immerse component in emulsifier

Emulsifier diffuses into the penetrant making it water washable Water wash removes excess penetrant & emulsifier Penetrant in defects left unaffected

Hydrophilic 2 Post emulsification systems
Lipophilic Contact time is critical & should be determined by experimentation

Post emulsifiable
ADVANTAGES Maximum penetrating ability Greater control over penetrant removal DISADVANTAGES Not suited to rough surfaces More expensive More time consuming

Solvent Removable
Clean off the excess with a lint free cloth.
Wipe with a solvent dampened rag.
Thou shalt not spray the cleaner directly onto the item under test!!!
Solvent Removable
ADVANTAGES Portability No water supply needed DISADVANTAGES Not suited to batch testing Requires hand wiping so time consuming More expensive than water washable Potentially hazardous chemicals
Drying
Hot air recirculating oven (max 80C)
Forced warm air
Dry clean compressed air

Component temperature shall not exceed 50C
4. Development
Penetrating fluid applied to component and drawn into defect by capillary action Developer applied to surface
Developer Properties
Absorbent Fine texture Able to mask out background colour Evenly and easily applicable Light and even coat Non-fluorescing
Easily wetted Contrasting colour Easily removed Non-toxic and Non-irritant
Developer action
Penetrating fluid applied to component and drawn into defect by capillary action Developer applied to surface Penetrant drawn back out of the defect by reverse capillary action
Developer action
Capillary Action - Increases the size of an
indication far beyond the actual defect size; increases the thickness of an indication, thereby increasing its colour brilliance.
Light scattering - Aids the conversion of UVA
to visible light when using fluorescent systems; reduces background glare when using visible systems.
Solvent Action - Solvent combines with
penetrant, reducing penetrant viscosity, thereby inducing a more rapid, more efficient bleed-out.
Light Scattering
I0
If
If
If
If
No Developer
With Developer
No Developer
With Developer
Development
Dry powder Aqueous liquid Dry after application Applied by Immersion Spraying Brushing
Component must be dry Applied by Dipping Blowing Dust storm cabinet
Non-Aqueous liquid
Applied by Aerosol
Dry powder developer

ADVANTAGES Easy to handle No hazardous vapours Easy to remove DISADVANTAGES Difficult to see if properly applied Fine powders can be hazardous Does not offer the best degree of colour contrast
Aqueous Developer
Solutions
Aqueous Developer
Solutions
Suspensions
Aqueous Developer
ADVANTAGES No vapours or dust Cheaper than nonaqueous DISADVANTAGES Difficult to apply evenly Requires drying after application
Non-Aqueous Developer
ADVANTAGES Most sensitive Usable with fluorescent or colour contrast DISADVANTAGES Hazardous solvents Higher cost Need to be correctly applied
Developer Sensitivity
Dry powder Aqueous solution Aqueous suspension Non-Aqueous 100 110 120 120 - 140 % - 150 % - 200% - 240%
System Classification
Type of penetrant Method of penetrant removal Type of developer
System classification
PENETRANT Colour contrast Fluorescent Dual
PENETRANT Colour contrast Fluorescent Dual
REMOVAL Water washable Solvent Post emulsifiable
PENETRANT Colour contrast Fluorescent Dual REMOVAL Solvent Water washable Post emulsifiable DEVELOPERS Dry powder Aqueous Non-Aqueous
5. Inspection
Indications viewed as soon as practicable after developer application with final assessment taking place after a minimum development time has elapsed.
30 Seconds
1 Minute
15 Minutes
5. Inspection
Lighting levels are critical: Colour Contrast White light above 500 lux Fluorescent White light below 20 lux UV-A above 1000W / cm2
5. Inspection
Fluorescent Allow 15 minutes lamp warm-up Allow 5 minutes dark adaptation Do not wear photo-chromatic spectacles
6. Post Cleaning
DPI residues must be removed because: They may be harmful to the component or They may impair subsequent processing
Advantages of DPI
Applicable to all non-porous materials Able to test large parts with a portable kit Batch testing Applicable to small parts with complex geometry Simple,cheap, easy to interpret Good sensitivity Training requirements typically less than for other NDT methods.
Disadvantages of DPI
Will only detect defects open to the surface Careful surface preparation required Not applicable to porous materials Temperature dependent Cannot retest indefinitely Compatibility of chemicals
Penetrant Systems
PENETRANT Colour Contrast Fluorescent REMOVAL Dual Water Washable
Solvent Removable Post-Emulsified
DEVELOPER Dry Powder Water Suspended Water Soluble Solvent Suspended
Selection of System
Nature of discontinuities (size and type) Geometry and intricacy Surface condition Component material and application Size and position Equipment and expertise available Cost Number of components to be tested
Control Checks
Tank levels Overall system performance
Overall System Performance

Chromium plated cracked test panel Cracked test piece Quench cracked aluminium alloy block
Control Checks
Tank levels Overall system performance Rinse water temperature Oven temperature Equipment cleanliness Airline filters UV-A filters
Control Checks
UV-A / visible light levels Fluorescent / colour intensity Suppliers check Hydrophilic remover dilution Developer Meter / gauge calibrations
Control Checks - Frequency

Tank levels Overall system performance Rinse water temperature Oven temperature Equipment cleanliness Airline filters UV-A filters UV-A / visible light levels Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Weekly Daily Monthly
Control Checks - Frequency

Fluorescent / colour intensity Suppliers check Hydrophilic remover dilution Developer Meter / gauge calibrations Monthly Annual when fresh Daily Annual
UV(A)
Electromagnetic Spectrum
X-rays & Gamma Ultra violet Light Microwaves Infra red TV
Electric Waves
10-10 10-8
10-6
10-4
10-2
1cm
102
104
106
108
Wavelength
Electromagnetic Spectrum
UV-C UV-B UV-A A Damaged Black Light Emits
10
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT
VISIBLE LIGHT
Fluorescence
UV-A Source : Mercury vapour arc lamp + Filter
Precautions Avoid looking directly at the lamp Do not use if filter is cracked, damaged or incorrectly fitted
Fluorescence and the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Absorbs
Emits
Dual
10
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT
VISIBLE LIGHT
Fluorescent v Colour Contrast

Fluorescent more sensitive Less operator fatigue with fluorescent More difficulty in monitoring fluorescent penetrant removal Fluorescence may degrade under UV(A), when exposed to acid and high temperatures
Colour Contrast
Fluorescent
Any Questions Please ?

PT 2005

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Liquid Penetrant Inspection

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Liquid Penetrant Inspection

Penetrant Flaw Detection

Surface inspection method Applicable to all non-porous, non-absorbing materials

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

6 Steps in Penetrant flaw detection

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Scale Slag Corrosion products Carbon

Oils and Greases Paints

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Principle : Capillary Action

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Principle : Capillary Action

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Strongly affected by contamination

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

3. Removal of Excess Penetrant

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Removal of Excess Penetrant

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Removal of Excess Penetrant

Minimise mechanical action Spray wash

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Water Washable Penetrant

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Post Emulsifiable Penetrant

Immerse component in emulsifier

World Centre for Materials Joining Technology

Removal of Excess Penetrant

Lipophilic Contact time is critical & should be determined by experimentation

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March

Copyright 2014, TWI Ltd 14 March