Liquid Penetrant Inspection

Liquid Penetrant Inspection

Surface inspection method
Applicable to all non-porous, non-
absorbing materials

Dye Penetrant Inspection(DPI)
Penetrant Flaw Detection (PFD)
Penetrant Testing (PT)
6 Steps in Penetrant flaw
detection
Surface preparation
Penetrant application
Removal of excess penetrant
Application of developer
Inspection
Post cleaning and protection
1. Surface Preparation
Physical Methods Chemical Methods
Scale
Slag
Corrosion products
Oils and Greases
Paints
Chemical Methods
Vapour Degreasing
Hot Solvent Degreasing
Cold solvent Degreasing
Solvent materials with Emulsifiers
Acid / Alkaline Cleaning
Steam cleaning
Paint Removal

2. Penetrant Application
Penetrating fluid applied to component and
drawn into defect by capillary action
Penetrant Application

Critical factors
Penetration / Dwell time

Component Temperature

Principle : Capillary Action
Interaction of adhesive and cohesive forces
Principle : Capillary Action
Interaction of adhesive and cohesive forces
Penetrant Properties
Good Wetting Ability
High Surface Tension
Viscosity
Wetting Ability
Liquids having good wetting ability have a low
contact angle.
Liquids having a contact angle of 90 or less
will act as penetrants.
Contact angle is strongly affected by surface
cleanliness.
Contact
Angle
Contact Angle
LOW HIGH
Contact Angle
Surface Tension
HIGH LOW
Surface Tension
Strongly affected by
contamination
Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of internal friction
It affects the rate at which a liquid flows
Viscosity has a strong effect on the time taken for
capillary action to work
A high viscosity penetrant will require a longer
contact time and a longer development time
A low viscosity penetrant may drain too quickly
from vertical or overhead surfaces
Types of Penetrant
Colour Contrast
Fluorescent
All other factors being equal, fluorescent
penetrants provide the best sensitivity
Each of the above may be water washable,
solvent removable or post-emulsifiable (in
order of increasing sensitivity)
2. Penetrant Application
Methods
Spraying
Brushing
Immersion
Preceded by a visual inspection
Penetrant application
Special Methods
Thixotropic
penetrants
Electrostatic
spraying
3. Removal of Excess Penetrant
Penetrating fluid applied to component and
drawn into defect by capillary action
Penetrating fluid removed from component surface
(but not from defect)
Removal of Excess Penetrant
Water washable
Solvent Removable
Post Emulsifiable
Penetrants are formulated for
removal by one or sometimes more
than one of the above.
Removal of Excess Penetrant
Water Washable Penetrant
Spray
wash
Minimise mechanical
action
Pressure as low as
possible
Temperature less than
50C
Water Washable Penetrant
ADVANTAGES
Usable on rough
surfaces
Suitable for batch
testing
Cheaper than other
methods
DISADVANTAGES
Susceptible to over
washing
Least sensitive
method
Requirement for a
water source
Post Emulsifiable Penetrant
Stages
Immerse component in penetrant
Immerse component in emulsifier
Emulsifier diffuses into the penetrant
making it water washable
Water wash removes excess
penetrant / emulsifier
Penetrant in defects left unaffected
Removal of Excess Penetrant
2 Post emulsification
systems
Hydrophilic

Lipophilic
Contact time critical
Determined by experimentation
Post emulsifiable
ADVANTAGES
Maximum
penetrating ability
Greater control over
penetrant removal
DISADVANTAGES
Not suited to rough
surfaces
More expensive
More time consuming
Removal of Excess Penetrant
Clean off the excess with a lint free cloth.

Wipe with a solvent dampened rag.


Solvent Removable
Thou shalt not spray the cleaner directly onto
the item under test.

Solvent Removable
ADVANTAGES
Portability
No water supply
needed
DISADVANTAGES
Not suited to batch testing
Requires hand wiping so
time consuming
More expensive than water
washable
Potentially hazardous
chemicals
Drying
Hot air recirculating oven (max 80C)
Forced warm air
Dry clean compressed air
Component temperature shall not exceed
50C
4. Development
Penetrating fluid applied to component and drawn
into defect by capillary action
Developer applied to surface
Developer Properties
Absorptive
Fine texture
Able to mask out
background colour
Evenly and easily
applicable
Light and even coat
Non-fluorescing
Easily wetted
Contrasting colour
Easily removed
Non-toxic and Non-
irritant
Developer action
Penetrating fluid applied to component and drawn
into defect by capillary action
Developer applied to surface
Penetrant drawn back out of the defect by
reverse capillary action
Developer action
Capillary Action - Increases the size of an indication far
beyond the actual defect size; increases the thickness
of an indication, thereby increasing its colour brilliance.
Light scattering - Aids the conversion of UVA to visible
light when using fluorescent systems; reduces
background glare when using visible systems.
Solvent Action - Solvent combines with penetrant,
reducing penetrant viscosity, thereby inducing a more
rapid, more efficient bleed-out.
Light Scattering
I
0

I
f

I
f

I
f

I
f

No Developer With Developer
No Developer With Developer
Development
Dry powder
Component must be
dry
Applied by
Dipping
Blowing
Dust storm cabinet
Aqueous liquid
Dry after application
Applied by
Immersion
Spraying
Brushing
Non-Aqueous liquid
Applied by
Aerosol
Dry powder developer
ADVANTAGES
Easy to handle
No hazardous
vapours
Easy to remove
DISADVANTAGES
Difficult to see if
properly applied
Fine powders can be
hazardous
Does not offer the best
degree of colour
contrast
Aqueous Developer
Solutions
Aqueous Developer
Solutions
Suspensions
Aqueous Developer
ADVANTAGES
No vapours or dust
Cheaper than non-
aqueous
DISADVANTAGES
Difficult to apply
evenly
Requires drying after
application
Non-Aqueous Developer
ADVANTAGES
Most sensitive
Usable with
fluorescent or colour
contrast
DISADVANTAGES
Hazardous solvents
Higher cost
Need to be correctly
applied
Developer Sensitivity
Dry powder 100 - 140 %
Aqueous solution 110 - 150 %
Aqueous suspension 120 - 200%
Non-Aqueous 120 - 240%
System Classification
Type of penetrant
Method of penetrant removal
Type of developer
System classification
PENETRANT
Colour contrast
Fluorescent
Dual
REMOVAL
Water washable
Solvent
Post emulsifiable
DEVELOPERS
Dry powder
Aqueous
Non-Aqueous
5. Inspection
Indications viewed as soon as practicable after
developer application with final assessment
taking place after a minimum development
time has elapsed.
30 Seconds 1 Minute 15 Minutes
5. Inspection
Colour Contrast
White light above 500 lux
Fluorescent
White light below 20 lux
UV-A above 1000W / cm
2
Lighting levels critical
5. Inspection
Fluorescent
Allow 15 minutes lamp warm-up
Allow 5 minutes dark adaptation
Do not wear photo-chromatic spectacles

6. Post Cleaning
DPI residues are required to be removed because
They may be harmful to the component
or
They may impair subsequent processing
Advantages of DPI
Applicable to all non-porous materials
Able to test large parts with a portable kit
Batch testing
Applicable to small parts with complex
geometry
Simple,cheap, easy to interpret
Good sensitivity
Training requirements typically less than for
other NDT methods.
Disadvantages of DPI
Will only detect defects open to the surface
Careful surface preparation required
Not applicable to porous materials
Temperature dependent
Cannot retest indefinitely
Compatibility of chemicals
Penetrant Systems
PENETRANT

Colour contrast
Fluorescent


Dual
REMOVAL

Solvent

Water washable

Post emulsifiable
DEVELOPERS

Dry powder

Aqueous


Non-Aqueous
Selection of System
Nature of discontinuities (size and type)
Geometry and intricacy
Surface condition
Component material and application
Size and position
Equipment and expertise available
Cost
Number of components to be tested
Control Checks
Tank levels
Overall system performance
Overall System Performance
Chromium plated cracked test panel
Cracked test piece
Quench cracked aluminium alloy block
Control Checks
Tank levels
Overall system performance
Rinse water temperature
Oven temperature
Equipment cleanliness
Airline filters
UV-A filters

Control Checks
UV-A / visible light levels
Fluorescent / colour intensity
Suppliers check
Hydrophilic remover dilution
Developer
Meter / gauge calibrations
Control Checks - Frequency
Tank levels
Overall system performance
Rinse water temperature
Oven temperature
Equipment cleanliness
Airline filters
UV-A filters
UV-A / visible light levels


Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
Weekly
Daily
Monthly
Control Checks - Frequency
Fluorescent / colour intensity
Suppliers check
Hydrophilic remover dilution
Developer
Meter / gauge calibrations

Monthly
Annual
when fresh
Daily
Annual
UV(A)
Electromagnetic Spectrum
10
-10
10
-8
10
-6
10
-4
10
-2
1cm 10
2
10
4
10
6
10
8
Wavelength
Electric
Waves
TV
Microwaves
Infra red Ultra
violet
X-rays &
Gamma
Light
10 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
ULTRAVIOLET VISIBLE
LIGHT LIGHT
A Damaged Black
Light Emits
UV-A UV-B UV-C
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Fluorescence
UV-A Source : Mercury vapour arc
lamp
+
Filter
Precautions
Avoid looking directly at the lamp
Do not use if filter is cracked, damaged or
incorrectly fitted
Fluorescence and the

Electromagnetic Spectrum
10 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
ULTRAVIOLET VISIBLE
LIGHT LIGHT
Emits
Dual Absorbs
Fluorescent v Colour Contrast
Fluorescent more sensitive
Less operator fatigue with fluorescent
More difficulty in monitoring fluorescent
penetrant removal
Fluorescence may degrade under UV(A), when
exposed to acid and high temperatures