Common Uses of Liquid Penetrant

Inspection
Liquid penetrant inspection (LPI) is one of the most widely used
nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods. Its popularity can be
attributed to two main factors, which are 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. Materials that are commonly
inspected using LPI include the following:

Metals (aluminum, copper, steel, titanium, etc.)

Glass
Many ceramic materials
Rubber
Plastics

LPI offers flexibility in performing inspections because it can be applied in a large

variety of applications ranging from automotive spark plugs to critical aircraft
components. Penetrant material can be applied with a spray can or a cotton swab to
inspect for flaws known to occur in a specific area or it can be applied by dipping or
spraying to quickly inspect large areas. At right, visible dye penetrant being locally
applied to a highly loaded connecting point to check for fatigue cracking.
Penetrant inspection systems have been developed to inspect some very large
components. In this picture, DC-10 banjo fittings are being moved into a penetrant
inspection system at what used to be the Douglas Aircraft Company's Long Beach,
California facility. These large machined aluminum forgings are used to support the
number 3 engine in the tail of a DC-10 aircraft.
Liquid penetrant inspection is used to inspect of flaws that break the surface of the
sample. Some of these flaws are listed below:

Fatigue cracks
Quench cracks
Grinding cracks
Overload and impact fractures
Porosity
Laps
Seams
Pin holes in welds
Lack of fusion or braising along the edge of the bond line

As mentioned above, one of the major limitations of a penetrant inspection is that flaws
must be open to the surface. To learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of
LPI proceed to the next page.