PT SET

1. What are three Cans of PT

Ans: Cleaner, Penetrant & Developer

2. What are different brands of PT Bans

(a) DIFFUTHERM (b) MAGNAFLUX

3. In which Can “ball” is not present and why

Ans: Ball is found in Developer only. It is used for mixing suspension in Developer.
In Cleaner and Penetrant there is no suspension

, so no need of mixing.

4. What are colours of liquids in of Cleaner, Penetrant and Developer?

Transparent, Red, White respectively

ESSENTIAL & NON-ESSENTIAL VARIABLES

5. What are essential variables of PT and what happens when a essential

variable changes

See notes for essential & non-essential variables- We requalify PT Procedure

when an essential variable changes

SURFACE PREPARATION

6. How surface is prepared for PT

All debris, oil, grease or other foreign matter should be removed by cleaner
before applying penetrant.

Clean one inch area extra all around of area of interest (ASME Section VIII-1
requirement)

USES

7. What method is used for SS and why. PT or MT ?

(a) PT is used for both ferrous and non ferrous (CS and SS) and
(b) MT is used SS (400 series- Magnetic series). MT is not used for SS (300
series-nonmagnetic)

8. Difference between uses of PT & MT

(a) PT is used for surface defects

(b) MT is used for surface and near surface defects (about 2 - 3 mm depth)

PENETRANT APPLICATION

9. How penetrant is applied

Spraying, Brushing, Dipping

10. What is dwell time for penetrant? and for what temperature.

(a) Five minutes (For temperature 10C to 52C)

(b) Double time that is ten minutes (For temperatures 5C to 10C)

Note: Colder liquids (penetrant) go slowly in holes or cracks, so Penetrant time is

double

HYDROSTATIC TEST (General Knowledge)

May hydrostatic test be done at -5 degree centigrade?

Yes, As per API 510 (for inservice hydrostatic test of pressure vessels like heat
exchangers) the metal temperature should be 17C above MDMT.

If MDMT on drawing is -40 C the metal temperature should be greater thane

17C+ (-40) = -27C.

So metal temperature should be greater than -27C, so hydrostatic test may be

done at -5C (because temperature -5C is greater than temperature -27C ).

11. How excess water-washable penetrant is removed

Excess water-washable penetrant is removed by water spraying. The water

pressure should not exceed 50 psi and water temperature should not increase
43C

12. If water spraying is not available for Water-washable penetrant then how
will excess penetrant be removed
Excess water-washable penetrant may be removed by wiping with a clean, dry,
lint-free cloth or absorbent paper

13. What should be done if penetrant becomes dry during or after dwel time

If penetrant, after application becomes dry then entire procedure should be

repeated, starting with cleaning.

14. How examination is performed for Flourescent penetrant

With Flourescent Penetrant, the process is same as for Visible colour contrast
penetrant. The only difference is that the Flourescnet penetreant exmination is
performed by by using Ultra voilet light called black light

RECORD

15- What should be recorded during a PT

(a) Below requirements

i. Examination date

ii. Level II personnel Name, certification

iii. Identification of the weld and part

iv. Examination Method, Technique

v. Procedure #

vi. Examination results

(b) Liquid Penetrant Type (Visible or flourescent)

(c) Type (Number or letter designation) of each

i. Penetrant

ii. Penetrant remover

iii. Developer

iv. Emulsifier

(d) Map or record of indications

(e) Material & thickness

(f) Lighting Equiment

DEVELOPER

16- Should we shake Cans before use

Yes, to mix-up suspension

17. Why does penetrant goes into small holes (pinholes, cracks etc)?

(a) Due to low viscosity (less thick means thin)

(b) Due to Capillary action

Capillary Action is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces. without the
assistance of external forces like gravity.

It occurs because of intermolecular forces between the liquid and surrounding

solid surfaces.

18. Can we use one brand of penetrant with other brand of developer and why?

No. It is essential variable. Procedure will have to requalify

19. After how many time inspection is done after developing time finishes

Just after finishing of developing time

20. What is affect of applying excess developer?

It may mask discontinuities

21. If you enter a vessel and find someone has removed developer then will you
apply again developer before inspection or not?

If there is no interference with developed indication then there is no need of

applying developer again

If developed indications are mixed/confused then whole method will be repeated

22. What is minimum and maximum developing time

Minimum 10 minutes and maximum One hour

TEMPERATURE
23. For PT, What is minimum & maximum temperature for of penetrant and part
surface during examination

Ans: 5C to 52C

AND how will you measure maximum temperature? What is current

temperature of table

(a) Temperature Gun

(b) Temple stick (Temperature Stick)

(c) Physically sensing the part by hand for a short time (not 100% accurate
method)

24. May PT be done at below 5C and above 52C ?

Yes by requalification of procedure

25. What will you do when you find a crack? How will you rectify crack?

Often starting and end point of crack is drilled upto crack depth to avoid crack
enlarging/spreading then by grinding disc crack is removed

26. How will you rectify a pinhole

By grinding disc

What things are mentioned in a PT report

27. Can you do PT twice or thrice?

Yes if we sandblast the surface. If we do PT twice or thrice then efficiency is

reduced because some residual of penetrant may affect efficiency

DEFECTS / DISCONTINUITY

28. What is a linear and rounded indication?

Length of linear indication is greater than three times the width

e.g, Width is 1mm, Length 3 mm (linear), width is 1 mm, Length 4 mm (Linear),

Width is 1 mm, length 2 mm (rounded indication)

29. What defects are not acceptable in any case?

(a) Crack,

(b) Lack of fusion (weld metal and base metal do not fuses),

(c) Lack of penetration (weld metal does not comes outside from root)

30. What are discontinuities which are detected by PT

a) Crack (fine irregular line)

b) Lack of Fusion (Poor adhesion of weld bead and base metal)

c) Porosity (Bubbles in the weld. Are acceptable to some extent)

d) Cold shuts

31. What is a “Wagon Track” welding defect

Wagon track defects are caused by hydrogen trapped by the freezing slag. They
appear when a bubble flows into the weld puddle and evaporates into the
atmosphere.

These are caused by excessive voltage.

32. What is a Coldshut

A cold shut is a fault in the piece of metal which is caused by two streams of
molten metal not joining properly

33. What is the difference between a defect and a discontinuity

When discontinuity is not acceptable then it is called defect

CODES AND STANDARDS

34. For what purpose ASME section V is used?

Section V describes, how will a NDT method be performed. It does not describe
acceptance criteria

35. For what purpose Construction Code is used?

Ans: Describes acceptance Critera (fail/pass of defects)

36. Is acceptance criteria of NDT of Piping, Boiler & Pressure vessel found in a
Construction Code or other codes?

Acceptance Criteria is always found in Construction Codes of Piping, Boiler,

Pressure Vessels and

37. What are construction Codes of Power Boiler, Power Piping, Process Piping,
Pressure vessels? NDT

(a) Power Boiler (ASME Section 1)

(b) Power Piping (ASME B 31.1)

(c) Process Piping (ASME B 31.3)

(d) Pressure Vessels (ASME Section VIII Division 1, 2 & 3)

(e) NDT/NDE (ASME section V)

(f) Welding (ASME section IX)

38. Which Code will you use for inservice/shutdown/turnaround inspections of

pressure vessels (Exchangers/columns/reactors etc)?

ABBREVIATIONS

35- What stands for

ASME - American Society of Mechanical Engineers

ASTM - American Society for Testing Materials

ASNT - American Society of Non-desctructive Testing

SNT - Society for Non-destructive Testing

NDT - Non destructive Testing

NDE - Non-Destructive Examination

PT - Penetrant Testing

DPT - Dye Penetrant Testing

MT- Magnetic Testing

MPT- Magnetic Particle Testing?

API - American Petroleum Institute

HAZ - Heat Affected Zone

C - degree centigrade

36- What minimum light intensity is required for PT & MT?

1000 Lux = 100 feet-Candle

37- In Which company or at project or workshop you performed PT?

Descon, Petrosin, EKL, IKAN, FAUZ, FABCON, Hitek, DDFC, IZHAR, Ravi Green

38- Did you performed PT with an approved Procedure?

Yes, with approved procedure (approved by Level III)

39- Who approves PT & MT Procedure and who accepts it

Level II approves the NDT Procedures (RT, UT, MT, PT) and Employer accepts it.
Employer means any person in Higher management like GM, Incharge QA&QC

40- What is the JD or responsibilities of Leve I, Level II and Level III inspectors

(a) Level-I performs NDT (RT, UT, MT, PT)

(b) Level-II interprets and evaluates results

© Level-III prepares NDT Procedure and approves it

40- Who certifies Level I, II & III inspectors

Level III

41- What is relevant and non-relevant indication etc

a. Relevant Indication - In nondestructive testing, an indication from a

discontinuity requiring evaluation.

b. Nonrelevant Indication - An indication that has no relation to a significant

discontinuity.

c. Discontinuity - a break in the continuity of a medium or material.

d. Defect - A discontinuity or other imperfection causing a reduction in the

quality of a material or component.
 e. Indication - In nondestructive testing, the response from or the evidence
of a discontinuity in material condition or structure.

f. Linear Indication: has length greater than three times the width

g. Rounded Indication (Circular or Elliptical) has length equal to or less

than the three times the width

42- What is acceptance standard for PT as per ASME Section VIII Divion 1

Ans: Mandatory Appendix 8

All surfaces should be free of

a) Relevant linear indications

b) Relevant rounded indications greater than 5 mm

c) Four or more relevant indications in a line separated by 1.5 mm or less (edge

to edge)

43- What is acceptance standard for MT as per ASME Section VIII Divion 1

Ans: Mandatory Appendix 8