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Couplant for Your Application

How to Pick the Right

Ultrasonic Couplant
for Your Application

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Five questions to ask

yourself plus tips to help
you select the best
nondestructive testing
couplant for your UT
application

The purpose of a good ultrasonic couplant is:

1. To get as much of the ultrasonic energy

from the transducer into the test part
2. To get as much of the ultrasonic energy that
is reflected by the flaw of the test surface
back into the transducer

Because sound energy is affected by the density

of the material it travels through, it does not travel
well between air (low density) and solids (high
density).

So, in order for the ultrasonic energy to get from

the transducer (a solid), into the test piece
(another solid), it is necessary to form a “bridge”
across the space between the two solids for the
ultrasonic energy to travel across. In many cases,
an ultrasonic couplant is used to create the
“bridge”.

The goal of selecting the right UT couplant is to

maximize the amount of energy transmitted over
the “bridge” while at the same time minimizing
risk, cost, time, clean-up, etc.

In this article, we go over five questions to ask

yourself and provide recommendations for each
to help you select the best ultrasonic couplant for
any application.

1. What parts are being

inspecting?
Surface texture
A part with a rough surface texture means a
couplant has to do more work to create a reliable
“bridge” for the ultrasonic energy to travel across.
A thicker couplant will fill in the gaps and ridges
on a rough-textured part better than a thin-watery
couplant.

However, on smooth test surfaces, you don’t need

a thick viscosity couplant. Here, a thin couplant is
ideal for helping a transducer glide easily over the
smooth or machined surface.

Type of metal / material

The key to any nondestructive test is that the
material needs to be exactly the same after the
test as it was before, this is why it is critical to use
a couplant that is proven to not damage the test
part in any way.

Unlike some non-spec approved materials

commonly used as a couplant (such as high-temp
grease, Vaseline, motor oil, hair gel, etc.), an
NDT-couplant should have independent testing to
guarantee it is safe to use on the material the part
is made of.

Some couplants are better at corrosion inhibition

than others, some couplants are safe to use on
plastic and fiberglass, some are approved for
aerospace alloys. Make sure you know what
materials your couplant is approved for.

Size
If the part or test area is relatively large, it is
important to use a couplant that is self-leveling to
minimize the amount of time spent applying the
couplant.

Also, a couplant with good wetting characteristics

will help ensure uninterrupted transmission during
an UT inspection over a large test area.

2. What are the test

environment / conditions?
Inspection angle
Is the surface to be inspected horizontal, vertical,
overhead?

For a vertical or overhead inspection, it is best to

use a thicker couplant with a higher viscosity
which will cling to test surface and provide a
reliable bridge for the ultrasonic energy to travel
through.

Temperature
For high-temperature ultrasonic testing, it is
important to use a couplant specifically formulated
to hold up in high temperatures since a general-
purpose couplant will not transmit ultrasonic
energy at high temps and may burn or ignite.

When selecting a high-temp couplant, pay special

attention to the auto-ignition temperature, which is
the lowest temperature at which it will
spontaneously ignite in a normal atmosphere
without an external source of ignition, such as a
flame or spark. Make sure to never use a high-
temp couplant at a temperature above the auto-
ignition temperature.

Additional special attention is needed when

performing ultrasonic thickness readings with
insulation. The action of the couplant mixing with
the insulation creates a lower ignition
temperature, so extra caution is needed in these
applications.

Additionally, ultrasonic thickness readings are

often in a "closed" environment where fumes or
smoke may build up when the couplant begins to
decompose due to heat exposure. This lowers the
couplant’s flash point so you should not use a
couplant at the upper end of its recommended
temperature range in these situations. Always
make sure to consult the couplant’s product data
sheet before using it in a high-temperature
application.

For ultrasonic testing in low temperatures, a

water-based couplant is not the best choice
because they are more likely to freeze when the
temperature drops. A better option in low
temperatures is to use a silicone- or glycol-based
couplant. However, some water-based couplants
can be “winterized” by adding propylene glycol to
the couplant. Make sure to check with the
couplant manufacturer before adding propylene
glycol, or any other material, to a couplant.

Another consideration for UT inspections in

extreme temperatures is that couplant viscosity
will go up (get thicker) at lower temperatures and
will go down (get thinner) at higher temperatures.
So pick a couplant that will give you the desired
viscosity during the inspection, which might mean
picking a thicker or thinner couplant than you
think you will need.

3. What type of UT
inspection?
Flaw detection, defect sizing
These types of ultrasonic testing usually only take
a few minutes and are typically confined to a
predetermined area so a wide range of couplants
are compatible with these UT inspection
applications.

Thickness gauging
This type of ultrasonic testing often involves high-
temperature pipes or may require a couplant that
is resistant to salt. This is because some of the
thickeners used to control a couplant’s viscosity
will degrade very quickly if used in the presence
of salt (like on some bridges or boilers).

Flow metering
Long-term flow meter requires a couplant that will
not dry out over time. For these applications,
choose a glycol- or silicone-based couplant with
excellent long-term corrosion protection
properties.

Shear wave
A very thick, high-viscosity couplant is needed to
couple shear waves since gel or liquid couplants
do not support a shear stress. With such thick
shear wave couplants, it is still recommended to
use as thin a layer of couplant as possible.

4. What approvals /
specifications /
conformances are required?
Just like other types of nondestructive testing,
many industry specifications have clearly defined
requirements for ultrasonic couplants. Some of
specifications with set couplant requirements are
API, ASME BPVC and AWS.

Couplants used in UT inspections in the nuclear

industry are required to meet very low levels of
halogen and sulfur content.

Aerospace-approved couplants must be

independently tested to guarantee they will not
cause corrosion, stress cracking or hydrogen
embrittlement on a wide range of metals, alloys
and other materials.

Make sure to consider all the different parts you

are responsible for testing and make sure to
select a couplant, or couplants, which meet all
specifications.

5. Other requirements /
factors to consider?
Inspection volume
If you are inspecting a lot of parts, it is more
important to select a couplant that is easy to apply
and remove than if you are only inspecting a few
parts since application and removal can impact
the overall time spent on a UT inspection.

Corrosion protection
Some ultrasonic couplants are better than others
at corrosion inhibition, especially over longer
periods of time so make sure to use a couplant
that meets your corrosion protection needs.

Price point
The key to finding the best couplant for your
application is to balance price with performance.

For expensive, critical or precision components it

is essential to use an NDT-approved couplant
from a trusted manufacturer.

Final Thoughts to Consider

Making a change to any NDT process needs to
be carefully considered, so it makes sense to
spend a few minutes considering your current
situation before you start looking for a new
ultrasonic couplant.

A couple more questions you may want to ask

yourself:

1. What product are you currently using?

2. What do you like about the current UT
couplant?
3. What don’t you like about the current UT
couplant?
4. Why are you looking to make a change?

By considering where you are at now, you can

evaluate whether a change is being made for the
right reasons and you will be better equipped to
make the right choice for your business.

Because, no matter what couplant you decide to

use, you need to be confident in your NDT.

Have you answered the

questions above? Check out
the range of Magnaflux
ultrasonic couplants here.

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