LIQUID PENETRANT TESTING

• Discontinuities are detected by a penetrating colored liquid.

Indications form directly over the defect.
This method detects surface breaking discontinuities only.

• This examination process is useful for detection of open to surface

discontinuities only.

• Applicable to varieties of non porous materials.

• Produces enlarged indication for easy detection.

• Relative volume of a flaw is indicated by the amount of bleed out.

Testing Limitations

• This process requires elaborate surface cleaning.

• Surface cleaning shall be properly done otherwise there will not show any
indication.

• Processing is time consuming.

 • The process has temperature limitations.

• 100 to 520 C. [2000 C, if high temp special penetrant materials are used ].

• requires careful processing.

• Does not indicate the size of the discontinuities.

• Difficult to test porous materials & rough surface.

• Requires post cleaning.

Penetrate Process : Step 1

• Surface is cleaned to remove all contaminants to the extent that the
interior of the discontinuities are clean and dry.

• Surface to be cleaned using appropriate cleaning methods such that dirt,

oil, grease, scale, rust, paint etc are completely removed.

• The flaw openings must be clean to allow entry of penetrant.

Following cleaning, the part shall be completely dried.

Penetrant Process : Step 2

• penetrant may be applied by, spraying, dipping, flooding, brushing.

• For penetrant application the part temperature must be within 100 to 500
C.
 • Penetrant must be applied to clean dry surface.

• The entire area to be tested must be covered with a thin layer of

penetrant.

• Penetrant must not dry during the entire test cycle.

• A penetration time between 10 to 30 minutes are used.

Penetrant Process : Step 3

• To detect entrapped penetrant, excess penetrant on the surface is
removed. Care must be taken not to remove entrapped penetrant from the
discontinuities.

• Depending on the type of penetrant, excess surface penetrant is removed

by one of the following methods,

• Rinsing with coarse water spray.

• Emulsifying the penetrant and rinsing with water spray.

• Rinsing with emulsifier solution.

• Manually wiping the surface with solvent dampened cloth.

Penetrant Process : Step 4

• A Developer is applied to bring entrapped penetrant back to the surface by

reverse capillary action [ blotting ].

• A developer, uniform coating of fine white powder, is used for blotting the
penetrant out of the discontinuities.

• Developer also provides a contrasting background for the indication.

• Penetrant bleeds and spreads into developer and the indication become
easily detectable. The indication may enlarge with time.

s
Penetrant Test Method
• The pre cleaning operation removes surface contaminants and opens up
the discontinuities.

Penetrant Test Method

Portable kit for Penetrant testing :
• For field use penetrant materials are packed in aerosol spray cans.
A set of cleaner / remover, penetrant and developer are all that required to
carry out the field examination.

• Aerosol cans provide uncontaminated liquids for the examination and can
have a shelf life of 5 years. However, if the pressure inside the can drops
significantly, the can becomes useless.

Penetrant materials are available in aerosol spray cans

as well as in bulks.
Surface Cleaning :
• Very important step in penetrant testing.

• Cleaning must clear the discontinuity opening to allow the penetrating

liquid to enter.

Surface contaminations closes Discontinuity openings :

Surface cleaning plays critical role for effective penetrant testing
• Any contamination such as oil, rust, scale, corrosion & different types of
coatings and surface treatments cover the discontinuity opening and
prevent entry of penetrant in to it.

• To detect the discontinuities, test surface shall be free from

abovementioned contaminations, otherwise indications will not appear.

Contaminants does not allow penetrant to enter

discontinuities
• Dirt and contamination blocks or closes the discontinuity openings and
prevent entry of penetrant.

• If a discontinuity is filled, there is no room for the penetranrt to ente itr.

• This is a limitation of liquid penetrant testing where as magnetic particle

testing can be carried out even with foreign material embedded onto the
discontinuities.
Parts shall be cleaned such that the interior of the
discontinuities are free from contaminants and dry :
Cleaning Methods :
• Detergents.

• Steam cleaning for assemblies

• Solvents for oil, grease etc

• Hot Alkaline cleaning

• Ultrasonic agitation with cleaning materials.

• Paint strippers

• Acid or alkaline etching for rust scales and corrosion.

Cross section of a part shows entrapped penetrant :
• The liquid must fill the cavity as much as possible.

• This depends on the viscosity of the penetrant and the temperature of the
part.

• At higher temperature, the liquid has low viscosity and enters and fill a
cavity easily.

• At low temperature the viscosity increases and longer penetration time is

needed.
Capillary action forces liquid into narrow openings :
Color contrast penetrant entered a crack.
Dirty part surface requires cleaning :
Rust and rough surfaces requires cleaning.
Rust and corrosion on test surface requires cleaning :

Paint closes and fills discontinuity openings and

blocks the passage of penetrant entry. All traces of
paint must be removed.
A pair of Gears before cleaning
The Gears after cleaning

Light deposits of oil and grease on the part can be

removed by solvent cleaner supplied with the spraying
kit.
A large number of small parts can be cleaned together
for penetrant examination :
before cleaning

after cleaning
Parts shall be cleaned such that all contaminants are
removed :
Parts being cleaned by detergent washing :
Parts to be cleaned by solvent removers

Remover cleans oily deposits

Appearance of part surface after cleaning :
Solvent spray cleaning
Removing paint with solvent wipe.
Removing paint with solvent
Compact machine cleaning unit with part basket.

Large and heavy part cleaning tank :

Ultrasonic cleaning
• Is highly effective in cleaning the interior of discontinuities and residual
penetrant after examination.
• This method takes advantage of ultrasonic agitation with suitable
cleaning agents. The ultrasonic agitation makes microscopic bubbles.
 Ultrasonic agitation produces microscopic bubbles
which explodes and displaces surrounding material. It
may take 30 to 60 minutes for complete cleaning

An Ultrasonic cleaning unit with power supply.

Capillary Action :
Principle of Liquid penetrant testing.
Liquid enters narrow openings due to capillary action.
• Liquid rises through the cavity of a fine bore tube against the gravity. This
is known as capillary action.
• The finer the bore, the more is the capillary force.
• Liquid enters narrow discontinuities because of capillary forces.
• A plant takes in water through capillary action.
Contact Angle :
• A good penetrant must easily spread on the test surface and enter tight
discontinuity openings.
• Low surface tension and low contact angle allow liquids to spread on the
surface easily.
• Liquid penetrants are formulated to have low surface tension, low contact
angle and low viscosity.
• Higher viscosity reduces the speed of penetration.
 Types of Penetrants
Liquid penetrants are available in three types.
Type 1
• Fluorescent dye, visible only under Ultra Violet light

Type 2
• Color contrast, visible in ordinary light, usually Red color.

Type 3
• Dual sensitivity. Combination of fluorescent and color dye. Examined
under ultra violet as well as ordinary light. Used for special applications.
Penetrant is a solution of brightly colored visible or fluorescent dye in a
colorless non volatile liquid, usually highly refined hydrocarbon distillates.
The penetrant possesses many controlled properties for its successful
operation.

Visible dye used in the penetrant is bright red or magenta in color.

Fluorescent dye is a pale yellow liquid which fluoresces brilliant yellow-
green in color under ultraviolet illumination.
Fluorescent Type 1 :
• These penetrants contain a fluorescent dye and are visible only under
ultraviolet illumination in a darkened area. The penetrants have high
sensitivity and used for sensitive applications.

Color contrast indication

• These penetrants use a color dye visible under ordinary light. The
penetrants have lower sensitivity compared to fluorescent types and is
used when high sensitivity is not required.
 Drain and Dwell :
• If immersion method of application is used, It is not recommended to
leave the part dipped in the penetrant tank during the dwell time.
• After the dip application, the part is allowed to drain the excess
penetrant throughout the dwell time.
• Penetrant may be reapplied if there is tendecy of the penetrant to dry.

Dwell time chart