NON DESTRUCTIVE TEST

ARL Laboratory Services P/L

Web:- www.arllabservices.com.au

By:

Wayne Robinson

ARL Laboratory Services, Australia

Non Destructive Testing

(NDT)
NDT - to determine the state or function which does not require the sacrifice of the

workpiece.
The Common Types :1. Dye Penetrant Testing
2. Ultrasonic Testing
3. Radiographic Testing
4. Magnetic Particle Testing

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Dye Penetrant Test

used to locate surface-breaking

defects in all non-porous materials

(metals, plastics, or ceramics)
detect casting and forging defects,
cracks, and leaks in new products,
and fatigue cracks on in-service
components

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Common Uses of Liquid

Penetrant

Liquid penetrant inspection (LPI) is

one of the most widely used nondestructive evaluation (NDE)

methods.
Its popularity can be attributed to
two main factors: its relative ease of
use and its flexibility.
LPI can be used to inspect almost any
material provided that its surface is
not extremely rough or porous.

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Common Uses of Liquid

Penetrant
Materials that are commonly
inspected using LPI include the
following:
Metals (aluminum, copper, steel,
titanium, etc.)
Glass
Many ceramic materials
Rubber
Plastics

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Basic Inspection Step

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Flow Diagram
Penetrant

Apply Penetrant

Indication

Developer

Remove Excess

Apply Developer
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 Liquid penetrant inspection is a method

that is used to reveal surface breaking

flaws by bleed out of a coloured or
fluorescent dye from the flaw.
The technique is based on the ability of a
liquid to be drawn into a "clean" surface
breaking flaw by capillary action.
After a period of time called the "dwell,"
excess surface penetrant is removed and a
developer applied. It draws the penetrant
from the flaw to reveal its presence.
Coloured (contrast) penetrants require
good white light while fluorescent
penetrants need to be used in darkened
conditions with an ultraviolet "black light".
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BASIC PROCESSING STEPS OF A

LIQUID PENETRANT INSPECTION
1.Surface Preparation
One of the most critical steps of a liquid

penetrant inspection is the surface

preparation.
The surface must be free of oil, grease, water,
or other contaminants that may prevent
penetrant from entering flaws.
The sample may also require etching if
mechanical operations such as machining,
sanding, or grit blasting have been performed.
These and other mechanical operations can
smear metal over the flaw opening and
prevent the penetrant from entering.
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Surface Preparation
Physical Methods

Scale
Slag
Corrosion
products

Chemical Methods

Oils and
Greases
Paints

Carbon
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2. Penetrant Application:
Once the surface has been thoroughly

cleaned and dried, the penetrant

material is applied by spraying,
brushing, or immersing the part in a
penetrant bath.

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

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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 postemulsifiable (in order of increasing
sensitivity)
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3. Penetrant Dwell:
The penetrant is left on the surface

for a sufficient time to allow as

much penetrant as possible to be
drawn from or to seep into a defect.
Penetrant dwell time is the total
time that the penetrant is in
contact with the part surface.
Dwell times are usually
recommended by the penetrant
producers or required by the
specification being followed.
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3. Penetrant Dwell:
The times vary depending on the

application, penetrant materials

used, the material, the form of the
material being inspected, and the
type of defect being inspected for.
Minimum dwell times typically
range from five to 60 minutes.
Generally, there is no harm in
using a longer penetrant dwell
time as long as the penetrant is
not allowed to dry.
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3. Penetrant Dwell:
The ideal dwell time is often

determined by experimentation
and may be very specific to a
particular application.

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3. Excess Penetrant Removal:

This is the most delicate part of the

inspection procedure because the

excess penetrant must be removed
from the surface of the sample while
removing as little penetrant as
possible from defects.
Depending on the penetrant system
used, this step may involve cleaning
with a solvent, direct rinsing with
water, or first treating the part with
an emulsifier and then rinsing with
water.
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3. Excess Penetrant Removal:

Penetrating fluid applied to
component and
drawn into defect by capillary action
Penetrating fluid removed from
component
surface (but not from defect)

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INSUFFICIENT CLEANING

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3. Excess Penetrant Removal:

Hydrophilic

Post emulsification
systems
Lipophilic
Contact time is critical & should
be determined by
experimentation
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Lipophilic Emulsifier
LIPOPHILIC means OIL LOVING.
Lipophilic emulsifiers are applied undiluted.
Methods of application include:
1 immersion
2 dip and drain
3 electrostatic spray
Contact time with lipophilic emulsifier is

EXTREMELY CRITICAL.
Lipophilic emulsifier is less user friendly then
hydrophilic, it is also more expensive.
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Hydrophilic Emulsifier
HYDROPHILIC means WATER LOVING.
Hydrophilic emulsifiers are powerful detergents

and they are used diluted with water.

Methods of application include:
1. Immersion
2. Dip and drain
3. spray (very dilute solution)
Contact time with hydrophilic emulsifier is a
little less critical than was the case with
lipophilic emulsifier.
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Post emulsifiable
ADVANTAGES
Maximum penetrating
ability
Greater control over
penetrant removal

DISADVANTAGES
Not suited to rough
surfaces
More expensive
More time consuming

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3. Excess Penetrant Removal:

Solvent Removable
Clean off the excess with a lint free cloth.
Wipe with a solvent dampened rag.

Thou shalt not spray the cleaner

directly onto the item under
test!!!
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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

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Hot air recirculating oven (max 80C)

Forced warm air
Dry clean compressed air
Component temperature shall not
exceed 50C

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4.

Drying

Drying is an essential step where dry

powder or solvent suspended developer is

used in conjunction with a water washable
or post emulsified technique.
Drying is not required (before developer
application) if water suspended or water
soluble developer is to be used.
The solvents used in the solvent
removable system tend to evaporate very
quickly at normal ambient temperatures.
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5.Development
Penetrating fluid applied to component
and drawn into defect by capillary
action
Developer applied to surface

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Developer Properties
Absorbent
Fine texture
Able to mask out

Easily wetted
Contrasting colour
Easily removed
background colour Non-toxic
Evenly and easily and
applicable
Non-irritant
Light and even
coat
Non-fluorescing

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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

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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.

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Development
Dry powder

Aqueous liquid

Component must be dry

Applied by
Dipping
Blowing
Dust storm cabinet

Dry after application

Applied by
Immersion
Spraying
Brushing

Non-Aqueous liquid
Applied by Aerosol

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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

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Aqueous Developer

Solutions

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Aqueous Developer

Solutions

Suspensions

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Aqueous Developer
ADVANTAGES
No vapours or dust
Cheaper than nonaqueous

DISADVANTAGES
Difficult to apply
evenly
Requires drying after
application

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Non-Aqueous Developer
ADVANTAGES
Most sensitive
Usable with
fluorescent or colour
contrast

DISADVANTAGES
Hazardous solvents
Higher cost
Need to be correctly
applied

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Developer Sensitivity
Dry powder
Aqueous solution

100 - 140 %
110 - 150

%
Aqueous suspension 120 - 200%
Non-Aqueous
120 - 240%

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6. Inspection
Indications viewed as soon as

practicable after developer

application with final assessment
taking place after a minimum
development time has elapsed.

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30 Seconds

1 Minute

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Minutes

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6. Inspection

Lighting levels are critical:

Colour Contrast
White light above 500 lux
Fluorescent
White light below 20 lux
UV-A above 1000W / cm2
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6. Inspection

Fluorescent
Allow 10 minutes lamp warm-up
Allow 5 minutes dark adaptation
Do not wear photo-chromatic spectacles

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7. Post Cleaning
DPI residues must be removed because:
They may be harmful to the component

or
They may impair subsequent processing

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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.

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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

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Penetrant Systems
PENETRANT
Colour Contrast
Fluorescent REMOVAL
Dual
Water Washable
Solvent Removable
Post-Emulsified
DEVELOPER
Dry Powder
Water Suspended
Water Soluble
Solvent Suspended
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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
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Control Checks
Tank levels
Overall system performance

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Overall System
Performance

Chromium plated cracked test panel

Cracked test piece
Quench cracked aluminium alloy block

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Control Checks
Tank levels
Overall system performance
Rinse water temperature
Oven temperature
Equipment cleanliness
Airline filters
UV-A filters

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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

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Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
Daily
Weekly
Daily
Monthly

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Control Checks Frequency

Fluorescent / colour intensityMonthly
Suppliers check
Annual
Hydrophilic remover dilution when fresh
Developer
Daily
Meter / gauge calibrations
Annual

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Colour Contrast

Fluorescent

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PENETRANT INDICATIONS

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PENETRANT INDICATIONS

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