PENETRANT TESTING

Introduction
 Liquid penetrant testing is one of the oldest, simplest & popular NDT methods. Before
19th century kerosene /oil mixture and chalk powder were used.
 Advantage -LPE method is very popular because of its flexibility and easy to use.
 The advantage of LPE is that it makes defects easier to see to the inspector.
 flaws which are not visible to naked eye ( Flaws less than 0.08 mm) can be
detected .
 LPE improves the delectability & Visibility of a flaw due to the high level of contrast
difference between the indication and the background surface .(such as a red
indication on a white background ).

 Limitations - LPE can detect flaws which are open to surface only.
- Porous material & rough surface can’t be inspected.
What Can Be Inspected Via PT?
Almost all material that has
 smooth, surface
 Non-porous surface

What Can NOT be Inspected Via PT?

• Components with rough surfaces, such as sand
castings
• Porous ceramics
• Wood and other fibrous materials.
• Plastic parts that absorb or react with the penetrant
materials.
• Components with coatings that prevent penetrants
from entering defects.
 Consumables used in LPE
it is very important that all consumables are of same from same type & of same manufacturer.
Also always check Batch certificate & Exp Date of consumables

Cleaner
Penetratnt
Develpoer

Manufacturers Consumables
 Ferrochem
 Magnflux
 Pradeep
 Penetrant -Types & characteristics
the main role of penetratnt is to go inside the cavity of
discontinuity such as crack, porosities etc
Characteristics - - spread easily over the surface .
- Capacity to insert into cavity of defects by capillary action.
- remain in the defect but remove easily from the surface of the part.
- remain in fluid state during through out testing duration.
- be highly visible to produce easy to see indications.
- not be harmful to the material being tested or the inspector.
Penetrant Type

Fluorescent Visible
UV light required Red dye visible to nacked eye

1000 Lus white light required

Types by removing agents

A Water Washable – Removed by Water
B Solvent Removable –Removed by Solvent
C Post emulsifiable – Lipophilic ( Oil Soluble penetrants)
D Post emulsifiable – Hydrophilic ( Water Soluble Penetrants)
Developer Types
The role of the developer is to pull the trapped penetrant material out of
defects and spread it out on the surface so it can be seen by an inspector.

Developers used with visible penetrants create a white background so there is a greater
degree of contrast between the indication and the surrounding background.

Types of developers - Dry powder,

- Wet Water Soluble,
- Wet Water Suspended,
- Wet Non aqueous Solvent based Fluroscant
- Wet Non aqueous Solvent based Visible
 Steps of LPE
1. Surface Preparation / Precleaning: is one of the most critical steps of a liquid
penetrant testing.
The surface must be free of oil, grease, water, or other contaminants which may mask the
opening of discontinuity .
to clean the surface apply cleaner on surface and swipe till removal of all the oil, grease etc. with
lint free cloth.

2. Penetrant Application: in solvent removable visible method Penetrant is of the red

colored. Once the surface has been thoroughly cleaned and dried, the penetrant material is
applied by spraying, brushing, or immersing.
Penetrant Dwell Time: is the total time that the penetrant is in contact with the part surface.
Typically dwell times range is from 10 to 30 minutes because after 30 minutes there are chances
of drying the applied penetrant.
3. Removal of excess penetration - This is the critical &
important step because while removing the excess penetrant
from surface, there are chances of removing penetrant from
discontinuities.
To avoid that following care should be taken
 Do not apply /spray cleaner directly on the surface
Apply /spray cleaner on the lint free cloth and wipe the
surface in one direction only.
Use new & fresh lint free cloths every time.
 repeat the cleaning process till removal of all stains of
penetrant from surface
4. Developer Application:
 A thin layer of developer is then applied to the surface by spraying from 9 to 12 inch distance
from surface.
Applied developer pulled out penetrant trapped in flaws back to the surface.
The red indication on white background of developer indicates the shape ,size & presence
of discontinuity.
 Interpretation shall be started after minimum development time that is 10 minutes.
Significantly longer times may be necessary for fine cracks .
5. Evaluattion & Interpretation :-
 Evaluation & Interpretation shall be done by only NDT Level-II & Level-III
 Acceptance criteria is always as per construction code of that project or approved procedure.
 Illumination – minimum 1000 Lux illumination is required for interpretation & evaluation.

6. Post Cleaning: after successfully completion of test all traces of developer , penetrant shall be
removed with applying cleaner.
Advantages and Disadvantages
 The primary advantages and disadvantages when compared to other NDT methods are:
Advantages
 High sensitivity (small discontinuities can be detected).
 Rapid inspection of large areas and volumes.
 Suitable for parts with complex shapes.
 Indications are produced directly on the surface of the part and constitute a visual representation
of the flaw.
 Portable equipments (materials are available in aerosol spray cans)
 Low cost (materials and associated equipment are relatively inexpensive)

Disadvantages
 Only surface defects can be detected.
 Only nonporous surface can be inspected.
 Pre-cleaning is critical since contaminants can mask defects.
 Surface finish and roughness can affect inspection sensitivity.
 Post cleaning of acceptable parts or materials is required.
 Chemical handling and proper disposal is required.