LIQUID PENETRANT INSPECTION

1.0. INTRODUCTION:
1.1. Liquid penetrant inspection is a non-destructive testing method for finding

discontinuities that are open to the surface of solid and essentially nonporous
materials. Indications of flaws can be found regardless of the size,
configuration, internal structure or chemical composition of the work piece
being inspected and regardless of flaw orientation. Liquid penetrant can seep
into (and draw into) various types of minute surface openings by capillary
action. This process is well suited for the detection of all types of surface
cracks. Laps, porosity, shrinkage areas, laminations and similar
discontinuities. It is used extensively for the inspection of wrought and cast
products of both ferrous and non-ferrous metals, powder metallurgy parts,
ceramics, plastics and glass objects and both in fabrication and in
maintenance.
1.2. Limitations:
The major limitation of liquid penetrant inspection is that it can detect only
imperfections that are open to the surface. Extremely rough or porous
surfaces are likely to produce false indications.
2.0 PRINICIPLE:
2.1 The method employs a penetrating liquid which is applied over the surface
and enters the discontinuity or crack, subsequently after the excess penetrant
which exudes or is drawn back out of the crack is observed indicating the
presence and location of dis-continuity.
When the penetrant is applied on the surface, the penetrant enters the
discontinuity which is open to the surface by capillary action. The capillary
action is the phenomenon by which the liquid rises in a wick. In a narrow
crack, the capillary pressure P is given by the formula.
P

Where S

2 S Cos
------------W
=
=
=

Surface tension of the liquid

Equilibrium contact angle of the liquid and surface of
the crack
width of the Crack

It can be seen that the capillary action is free from gravitational force and
hence the penetrant test can be conducted at any positions.
3.0. TEST METHOD:Regardless of the type of penetrant used and regardless of other variations in
the basic process, liquid penetrant inspection requires the following 5 steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Surface preparation
Application of penetrant
Excess penetrant removal
Application of developer
Inspection

3.1. Surface Preparation

The material surface to be tested will be having covering such as paints and
metallic platings and contaminants such as dirt, grease, rust, scales, acids,
chromates and water.

Fig: SURFACE CONDITION BEFORE STARTING THE EXAMINATION

These coverings will prevent the entry of liquid penetrant to the flaw. Unless
it is removed, and made the surface clean, dye will not enter the void and
there are chances of accepting the defective ones. So the first step in the
penetrant examination is Surface Preparation.
There are many possible ways to clean the surface. Any method that will not
harm the surface of the article can be used to remove the contaminants or

surface coatings. Shot and sand blasting are not generally recommended. But
there are time when they must be used. When they are, the risk is run that a
discontinuity, otherwise open to the surface might be closed. When shot or
sand blasting must be used, the discontinuities can be reopening with a very
slight amount of material from the surface. The cleaning technique being
used will be determined by the type of foreign material present and may
require either mechanical, solvent etch, ultrasonic or special surface
preparation such as vapour degreasing, to assure adequate cleaning and make
the discontinuity free of contaminants and open to the surface. A cleaning
solvent is used as a final cleaner. The cleaner used must be capable of
dissolving and flushing away the typical oil and grease often found on metal
components. The two contaminants oil and grease are penetrant themselves
and would certainly block the entrance of the penetrant. Also the cleaner
must be volatile so that it easily evaporate out of tight discontinuities and
does not remain to ilute or prevent the entrance of the penetrant. Typical
suitable cleaners used are acetone, perchlore-ethylene, Isopropyl alcohol and
Methylene chloride, all of which evaporate readily at normal temperature.
Application of Penetrant:
Apply penetrant to the surface of a clean dried part or section to be inspected
by any method that will thoroughly wet the surface. Either dipping, spraying,
pouring or brushing can be adopted. All the surface should be thoroughly
covered to allow capillary action to such the penetrant into the discontinuity.
Penetrant must cover at least one half inch.either side of a weldment and for
all other surfaces at least one inch. Around the area to be tested.
With Dye Penetrant properly applied, sufficient time should be allowed for
the penetrant to enter all the discontinuities. For capillary action to do the job.
This time is called the penetration time or dwell time. The two variables for
dwell time are the type of material being examined and type of discontinuity
for which the test is conducted.
While there is no maximum penetration time is recommended, the penetrant
should be wet prior to starting the next step. Because, of this, once the
minimum dwell time is reached, it is best to start the next step of excess
penetrant removal while the penetrant is still wet. In common, a dwell time of
5 minutes to 10 minutes is given. The temperature of the part should not be
less 16OC and more than 52OC.

3.3. Step-3 excess penetrant Removal

3.3.1. The presence of any discontinuity is indicated only by the entrapped or
penetrated due and not be the one on the surface. So before pulling back the
dye from the discontinuity the excess penetrant on the surface is to be
removed. If the normal is delayed for any reason and the penetrant has
dried, reapply the penetrant to the surface prior to starting the steps of
excess penetrant removal. When removing excess penetrant, care must be
taken not to do anything that may remove the penetrant from the
discontinuity. This is one reason for having the penetrant wet prior to
starting the removal of excess penetrant.
The method of removing the excess penetrant depends upon the type of
penetrant used. There are three types of penetrant, viz.
1. Water washable
2. Post emulsifiable
3. Solvent removable.
Type (1) is directly washable by water, whereas type (2) is to be made water
washable by emulsification after dye is generally used in site applications
because of its simplicity in use and minimum in size of equipments.
3.3.2. An organic solvent, recommended by the manufacture of the penetrant may
be used for excess penetrant removal of solvent removable type penetrant.
Flushing the surface by cleaner is not permitted. First the surface is cleaned
with a dry lint free cloth and then my moistening the cloth with the
recommended cleaner. Full removal of the excess penetrant is judged by the
absence of colour on the cloth if we have used ordinary visible dye and the
absence of fluorescence in the case of fluorescent dye, when the part is
viewed under black light.

Fig: Surface after the removal of excess penetrant.

3.4.

Step-3 Developer application:-

3.4.1. Developer is a highly absorbent power and is applied to the item being
inspected after the excess penetrant is removed. The developer absorbs the
dye penetrant from discontinuities with a blotting action, spreading the dye
to form visible indications, the image of the discontinuity is formed in the
developer itself as the dye carrying penetrants spreads out around the edges
of the discontinuity it has left. Thus, even slightest traces of penetrants are
drawn form discontinuity and as they defuse in the developer their film
thickness is increased and the penetrant is fixed in the developer.
3.4.2. Developer can be either dry or wet. The wet may be aqueous or nonaqueous suspendable type. Non aqueous suspendable type developers are
commonly used for general application. Before applying nonaqeous
developer, the surface should be dry. The non aqueous developer is applied
by spraying using a hand pump or an aerosol can.
3.4.3. Development Times:
The time form the application of the developer to the time the article is
inspected is the development time. Rule of thump of thumb tells to use a
time that is approximately one half the penetration time (dwell time) used.
The development time however includes the time in the drier oven also.
Development is a minimum time. It must be long enough to assure that the
developer has had time to draw the penetrant from the discontinuity. If the
article is inspected too soon, the indication may not have reached their
maximum, intensity and therefore be overlooked. And if more time is
given, the spreading of the dye will be more and the indication will be
enlarged.

Fig: Penetrant in the flaw is brought back by developer to form an

indication
If florescent dye is used, the inspection should be dome under black having
wave length 3650A.

3.4.4. Post Cleaning:

After the completion of inspection all the left over chemical are to be
cleaned form the surface.
3.5. INSPECTION:
3.5.1. Discontinuities at the surface will be indicated by the bleeding out of the
penetrant. However, localized surface irregularities such as from machining
marks or other surface condition like press fittings may produce nonrelevant in directions.
3.5.2. Relevant indications or true indications are those which result from
mechanical discontinuities. Only these indications are to be studied for
giving the results. Liner indications are those indications in which the
length is more than three times the width. Rounded indications are those
which are circular of elliptical with the length less than three times the
width.
3.5.3. False indications are due to improper removal of excess penetrant such as
penetrant on the hands of the operator on penetrant rubbing of an indication
of one specimen to another specimen etc. By careful adoption of the
technique and retesting, it is possible to determine either the indication is
false or not.
3.5.4. Wile interpreting the indications, the following are to be assessed:
i.
Type of indication: Whether continuous line, intermittent line round
or small dots. This ensures to determine the nature of discontinuities
present. Continuous line indications are caused by cracks, cold,
shuts, forgings laps, scratches and die marks. In terminations are
caused by sea holes or pin holes etc. A small dot represents fine
porosity or micro shrinkage.
ii.

iii.

Extent of discontinuities as evidence by the extension of indications.

This has to be viewed form two angles: one how deep the
discontinuity goes inside the surface. This can be seen from the
brightness of the indications. Deeper the discontinuity, brighter the
indication. Another method is the removal of developer surface after
noting the size of the indication on the surface. Once the depth of the
discontinuity and its other dimensions such as length, how fare they
are separated etc.are to noted.
What effect the indicated discontinuity have on the service life of
the specimen, or other-wards, whether the discontinuities can be

accepted or not. This requires the knowledge on the part of the

interpreter to the following:a.
Whether there is a governing code or standard to which the
specimen has to satisfy.
b.
Whether there is any further processing in which the
discontinuity may disappear
c.
Previous knowledge of similar parts and processes
4.0. APPLICATION OF PENETRANT INSPECTION
4.1.

Penetration inspection is widely used both in fabrication and

maintenance. Fillet welds like drum dished ends, attachment stubs, header
hand hole plates, R.G. hole plug welding etc. are inspected by penetrant test.
Any modification work during periodical overhaul of the boiler as in
scalloped bar welding, attachment welding in superheaters a retested by
penetrant inspection method.

4.2.

As it can be applied on any kind of material un liking to magnetic

particle inspection and as is free from any external energy like electricity for
operation, and as it can be operated by minimum technical knowledge, it is a
very versatile test method. But before putting the chemicals into use, it is to
be as certained that the halogen and sulphur content should not be harmful to
the material being tested. The testing area should be properly ventilated, so
that the chemicals will not be hazardous to the operator. Exhaust of an should
be provided when test is conducted inside a closed vessel.