Liquid Penetrant Inspection

Liquid Penetrant Inspection

Dye Penetrant Inspection(DPI) Penetrant Flaw Detection (PFD) Penetrant Testing (PT) Surface inspection method Applicable to all non-porous, absorbing materials

non-

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

Oils and Greases

Slag
Corrosion products

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

Contact Angle

LOW

HIGH

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
Preceded by a visual inspection
Spraying Methods

Brushing
Immersion

Penetrant application
Electrostatic spraying
Special Methods

Thixotropic penetrants

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

Removal of Excess Penetrant

Hydrophilic 2 Post emulsification systems

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

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.

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 Nonirritant

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
I0 If If
If If

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 nonaqueous 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 Aqueous solution Aqueous suspension 120 Non-Aqueous 120 100 - 140 % 110 - 150 % - 200% - 240%

System Classification
Type of penetrant Method of penetrant removal Type of developer

System classification
PENETRANT Colour contrast Fluorescent Dual

DEVELOPERS REMOVAL Dry Water washable powder Aqueous Solvent Non-Aqueous Post emulsifiable

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
Lighting levels critical Colour Contrast White light above 500 lux Fluorescent

White light below 20 lux

UV-A above 1000W / cm2

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

REMOVAL
Solvent Water washable

DEVELOPERS
Dry powder Aqueous

Dual

Post emulsifiable

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
X-rays & Gamma Microwaves Infra red TV Electric Waves

Ultra violet
Light

10-10 10-8 10-6 10-4

10-2 1cm Wavelength

102

104

106 108

Electromagnetic Spectrum
UV-C UV-B UV-A

A Damaged Black Light Emits

10

100

200 LIGHT

300

400

500

600 LIGHT

700

ULTRAVIOLET

VISIBLE

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

Absorbs Emits Dual

10

100

200 LIGHT

300

400

500

600 LIGHT

700

ULTRAVIOLET

VISIBLE

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