ASTM E 1417

Standard Practice for Liquid Penetrant Examination

Scope

 Minimum requirements for conducting liquid penetrant examination on

nonporous metal and nonmetal components
 Applicable for final and maintenance examination, applicable for detection of
discontinuities such as lack of fusion, cracks, laps, cold shuts and porosity that are
open to surface or surface connected
 caution of elevated temperature use with nonmetallic materials like plastics
inspection materials may harm the materials
 Safety concerns is the responsibility of the practitioner

Terminology

Final Examination: For acceptance of the item, any change to items surface such as
machining, grinding, welding heat treatment or etching by subsequent
manufacturing operations may render the previous examination invalid requiring
re-examination

Linear Indication: Penetrant indications with at least three to one length to width
ratio
Rounded Indication: Penetrant indications whose length to width ratio is less than
three to one

Reprocessing: Repeat, after cleaning, the penetrant application and appropriate

processing of penetrant, emulsifier (as required) and developer as required

Classification

Type: Type I, II and III

Methods: A, B, C and D
Sensitivity Levels: ½, 1, 2, 3 and 4
Forms: a, b, c, d, e and f
Classes: Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3

1
General Practice
Personnel Qualification: Agency qualification
Materials: Only approved materials as per applicable specification
Liquid oxygen compatible materials: Equipment and facilities
Viewing area and intensity requirements:
Shall be kept clean all the times
Type II: 100 fc (1000 lux) at the examination surface
Type I: 1000 µW/cm2 at the surface of examination ambient white light background 2 fc
(20 lux) Black cloth e.t.c

Drying

Oven temperature should not exceed 71 deg. C

Part temperature should not exceed the specified temperature 52o C
Written procedure, a master written procedure can be used
Details of precleaning, etching-E 165
Complete processing parameters
Concentration, application methods
Dwell time, drying time & temp etc
Complete exam/evaluation requirements including light requirements
Exam sequence – after all operation that will affect the surface
Surface coatings: all need be removed.
In service
Anodized layer need not be removed

Material and Process Limitation:

Sensitivity levels need be adequate for the intended purpose of the examination

Forms a & b not with Type II

Type II not prior to I - not applicable if surfaces are removed
Type II – not for final acceptance of aerospace components
Type I, C or D for overhaul and maintenance inspection of turbine blades

2
Surface preparation - Free from soils, oils, grease, paint and other coatings - clean and
dry
Cleaning methods:
Solvent cleaning includes - Vapour degreasing, Ultrasonic cleaning, Solvent soak,
Aqueous based
Chemical cleaning - scale, paint, conversion coatings etc
Mechanical cleaning- not removed by 1 and 2
- etching
- fine abrasive -150 grit or finer
only detergent cleaning
no etching necessary

Penetrant application

Temperature of the process: 4 – 52 deg. C

Dwell time: Minimum10 minutes, More than 2 hours – reapply the penetrant

Penetrant removal

Method A:
Manual or automated water spray, manual wipe, air agitated immersion wash
Nature of water supply coarse water supply
Pressure 40 psi (280 kPa)
Distance 12Inches
Spray nozzle 25 psi (172 kPa)
Temperature10-38 deg. C
Method B:
After emulsification, rinsing same as above
Application of emulsifier Immersion or flowing only
Brushing and spraying not allowed
Emulsification time 3 min. Type I
30 secs. Type II

Method C:
First clean lint free cloth - then solvent dampened

Method D:
Prerinse allowed leading to reduction in cost
Application immersion, flowing and spraying
Immersion – slight agitation
Concentrations – recommended
Emulsification time – Maximum – 2 minutes

3
Drying:
Dry and nonaqueous only after drying
Aqueous solution and suspendable drained and applied

Developing:
(Without developer for Type I conditions apply)
Form a - Apply and dry: 10 min – 4 hr- not with type II
Form d - Apply and dry: 10 min – 1 hr- frequent agitation
Form b and c - Apply and dry: 10 minutes - 1 hour. Form c, agitated before use
Form b - not allowed with Type II penetrants but Type I, Method A

Inspection

Inspector’s vision
Dark room adaptation time - 1 min and more
Requirements of black light
No indication or false indication - accept
Relevant indication - evaluate as per acceptance criteria
Indication verification - if allowed, wipe the indications with solvent, dampened cloth
and redeveloping
Discontinuity removal - sanding, grinding, e.t.c. After removal, clean, etched, reexamined
with same sensitivity
Sizing: Either the indication or the discontinuity

Post cleaning

Cleaned free developers after examination if these are harmful to subsequent operations

Quality control provisions

Material checks in use

Penetrant contamination – daily – appearance - rejected
Water content Method A only – 5 % and above reject
Water content lipophilic emulsifier
Developer condition - dry- fluffy and not caked
Developer contamination – aqueous – wettability and fluorescence
Concentration - hygrometer
Emulsifier concentration – hydrophilic - refractometer
System Performance – KDS

4
System checks

Penetrant brightness - unused and used – used 90%

Penetrant removability – Method A only – noticeably less
Emulsifier removability - used emulsifier and unused penetrant against unused emulsifier
and unused penetrant

Equipment checks – Black light intensity

Cleanliness and integrity
Light meters
Marking - in location and suitable manner not to harm the intended purposed of the
component- subsequent operations should not affect these