CHAPTER 6

Bubble Emission Techniques of Leak Testing

QUESTIONAIRE
1. What is the sensitivity limit of a production vacuum box bubble leak
test?
a. 10-5 std cm3/s
b. 10-6 std cm3/s
c. 10-7 std cm3/s
d. none of the above
2. Which of the following best describes a condition when bubble leak
testing may be done without the aid of a device such as vacuum box?
a. where defects are small
b. a pressure vessel that can be isolated under pressure
c. welds that have been radiographed
d. none of the above
3. When performing a vacuum box bubble leak test, if the weld surface is
so rough or the geometry of the weld is such that good rapid sealing of
the box is not possible :
a. grind out the weld and reweld
b. raise the test specimen temperature
c. grind the rough weld surface and/or adjust the shape of the vacuum
box or the seal to better fit the geometry of the weld
d. all of the above
4. Bubble leak testing can be performed without a vacuum box where the
test specimen can be :
a. pressurized
b. reduced in temperature to -40o C (-40o F)
c. magnetized to a field strength of 10 G
d. coated with fluorescent paint
5. When bubble leak testing, an accurate quantitative judgment of leakage
rate can be determined :
a. only if the bubble solution is heavy foam
b. only if the bubble solution is applied with a spray
c. if the operator is very alert and is good at mathematics
d. none of the above
6. What qualities are desired in a solution for leak detection of small
leaks?
a. be able to form thick foam or suds
b. be able to be applied relatively bubble free over the test area and
continuously form new bubbles at a leak location

c. be highly volatile so there is no residue after the test

d. all of the above
7. Under ideal shop or field conditions at a differential pressure of 103 kPa
(15 psi), a pressure bubble leak test enables the detection of leakage as
small as :
a. 10-7 std cm3/s
b. 10-6 std cm3/s
c. 10-4 std cm3/s
d. none of the above
8. A vacuum box should be in such a conditions as to enable the operator
to consistently attain a differential pressure (vacuum in the box) of :
a. 12-12.5 m (40-41 ft) of water
b. 1.3-2 kPa (10-15 mm Hg)
c. 112-122 kPa (33-36 in. Hg)
d. slightly more than that required by the procedure
9. When a vacuum box bubble test is to be performed on a large area such
as a flat bottom, it would be good leak testing practice to:
a. test all the weld joints in one long sequence as fast as possible so as
not to miss any areas
b. test the large area by dividing it into small sections ( one day or half
day work for the test crew) rotating or changing testing personnel after
testing of a section is complete in order to minimize the human fatigue
factor
c. allow the test operator a 10-minute break every hour
d. perform a hydrostatic test first in order to determine if vacuum box
bubble test is even required
10. A bubble leak test of the weld joints of a vessel internally pressurized to
1 kPa (6 psig) or a bubble leak test of the weld joints in a plate
evacuated on one side with a vacuum box to 41 kPa (6 psig), are :
a. both pressure type tests of equal pressure differential
b. different in that the first test will produce test results twice as sensitive
as the second test
c. different in that the vacuum box technique can be completed twice as
fast as internally pressurizing the specimen
d. none of the above
11. Which of the following examinations or tests should always be
performed before conducting a vacuum box bubble leak test?
a. halogen leak test
b. liquid penetrant examination
c. hydrostatic test
d. none of the above

12. Leakage is detected during a bubble leak test of a pressurized vessel

formerly used for natural gas storage. With all leaks marked at the
conclusion of the test, the essential steps that must be performed to
safely effect the repair of the vessel are :
a. fully purge the vessel with inert gas followed by air
b. check for any residual explosive gases and adequate oxygen in the
vessel
c. repair and retest
d. all of the above
13. Which of the following is an advantage of all the technique of the
bubble leak test method?
a. the results are quantitative in nature
b. limited skill and training is required for personnel
c. very high sensitivity is attainable
d. it is not satisfactory for detecting gross leakage
14. One of the advantages of using methyl alcohol as the fluid for
immersion bubble leak testing is that it :
a. cleans while acting as a test fluid
b. lasts a long time due to its low evaporation rate
c. has a low flammability temperature
d. has a high viscosity
15. When performing a preliminary bubble leak test at a low pressure to
detect very large leaks, the leak detector solution would be better
applied to the test surface :
a. only as a thin film or soapsuds
b. only with a squirt can
c. as a mixture of thick suds or foam
d. none of the above
16. Which of the following directly determines the size of the bubble test
method?
a. method of application of bubble solution
b. ambient temperature and barometric pressure
c. amount of leakage from a defect or leak
d. size of the test specimen
17. A major advantage of vacuum box bubble leak testing is that :
a. it enables the operator to detect leaks as small as 10-6 std cm3/s
b. it does not require positive pressurization of the vessel or area tested
c. an accurate quantitative measure of the leakage rate can be readily
obtained
d. a pressure differential of several atmospheres is easily achieved

18. In below freezing (0 C or 32 F) conditions on a large in-place outdoor

pipe and vessel system to be bubble leak tested what action should an
NDT technician take to insure a valid leak test?
a. increase pressure differential to 107 kPa (80 cm Hg)
b. hold suitable vacuum/pressure for at least 10 mnutes to make sure no
leaks are missed
c. heat the air used for pressurizing or postpone the test until ambient
temperature is warm enough and sufficient time is passed to melt any
ice that may have formed in leaks
d. all of the above
19. Ideal weather conditions for a bubble leak test of a large in place
vessel (outside) would be :
a. moderately warm
b. cloudy
c. calm (little or no wind)
d. all of the above
20. Leak testing practice per ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code,
Section V for bubble leak tests of pressurized systems requires that
prior to applying the bubble forming solution, the pressure should be
held for a minimum soak time of :
a. 30 minutes
b. 1 hour
c. until specimen temperature reaches10 degrees above ambient
d. none of the above
21. As a standard technique for vacuum box bubble leak testing, good leak
testing practices requires that the temperature of the test surface
remain in the range of :
a. 4-38 C (40-100 F)
b. the test temperature should be reduced to below the dew point
c. at whatever temperature the test surface will be when placed in service
d. none of the above
22. When performing a vacuum box bubble leak test to detect very small
leaks, the leak detector solution should be applied:
a. after the test surface has been cleaned
b. in a continuous film
c. free of contained bubbles
d. all of the above

23. When performing a bubble leak test of a gas pressurized system, the
purpose of the soak time between completion of pressurization and
application of the leak detection solution is to allow time for :
a. dispersion of bubbles entertained in the detector solution
b. dispersion of the pressurized gas through very small and long tortuous
path leaks
c. the temperature of the pressurized gas to reach NDT temperature
d. cooling of the pressurized gas which reduces dewpoint and moisture
level inside the system
24. Weld joints to be vacuum box bubble leak tested should first be :
a. a visually inspected for what the technician feels are suspect areas
and repair all these areas before performing the bubble leak test
b. ground absolutely smooth
c. deslagged and cleaned with a wire brush and/or rag and solvent to
remove any foreign matter or grease
d. all of the above
25. Which of the following are factors which can affect the results of a
bubble leak test?
a. technique and alertness of the operator
b. pressure differential used and duration of observation time of the
tested area after application of the leak detector solution
c. lighting of area being examined
d. all of the above
26. If freezing temperatures exist (below 0 C or 32 F outside) and the test
vessel is indoors, what action should the NDT technician take to ensure
that a valid bubble leak test?
a. no special action is necessary if the building is heated (day and night)
b. ambient temperature inside the building should be raised to at least
46.2 0C (115 0F)
c. if it is raining, completely cover the test vessel with a trap
d. none of the above
27. During hot sunny weather, test personnel performing a bubble leak test
outdoors should:
a. do all the testing at night so all spontaneous radiation will not endanger
workers or test personnel
b. apply several coatings of test solutions so that the heavy coating of
solutions will evaporate slower
c. limit coverage of the test surface with solution film to an area of such
size that it can be inspected before the detector solution dries or
evaporates from the surface of the metal
d. none of the above

28. A leak detector solution for bubble leak testing should ideally have :
a. low surface tension for detecting very large leaks
b. low surface tension for detecting very small leaks and higher surface
tension for detecting very large leaks
c. high surface tension for detecting very small leaks and lower surface
tension for detecting very large leaks
d. high surface tension for detecting very small leaks
29. One of the basic differences between a 33.5 kPa (5 psig) pressure
bubble leak test of a complete pressure vessel and a 5 psi vacuum box
bubble leak test of a weld in a plate is:
a. the 35 kPa (5 psig) vessel bubble leak can be performed outdorrs in
-40oC (-40oF) whether
b. the pressure bubble leak test is always at least twice as sensitive as is
the vacuum box bubble leak test
c. the pressure bubble leak test sensitivity is independent of pressure
differential and is entirely dependent on leak detector solution
temperature
d. none of the above
30. When very large leaks go undetected during a vacuum box bubble leak
test, it could be because the operator is:
a. not monitoring the box temperature at 100 o C (212o F)
b. forgetting to check calibration of the vacuum or pressure dial gauge
c. not giving the solution time to get set before seating the vacuum box
d. none of the above
31. A vacuum box equipped with a rectangular pliable rubber gasket is
difficult to initially seat across lap welds. When no other gasket or box
is
available, to improve the initial seating ability of the box the best
course
of action is to trim the gasket to reduce the initial contact
area. Circle a or b by the sketch that best indicates how this gasket
should be
trimmed

a.

b.

32. The type of leaks that are most likely to go undetected during a
bubble leak test are:
a. very small leaks and very large leaks
b. leaks occurring at welded joints
c. corner configuration joints
d. all of the above
33. The pipe to shell weld of a 51 mm (2 in) diameter flanged nozzle with no
reinforcing pad plate is flush with the inside of the vessel shell. The
simplest way to bubble leak test this weld prior to completion of the
vessel would be to:
a. t is not possible to bubble leak test this geometric configuration
b. test the nozzle weld along with the shell circumferential weld
c. blank the nozzle flange and vacuum box bubble leak test the weld from
inside the shell
d. blank the nozzle flange, install a plumbers plug in the inner end and
perform a pressure bubble leak test of the weld
34. Good practice dictates that when pressurizing a component for a bubble
leak test:
a. the test gauge should be cleaned with alcohol
b. test pressure should be 150% of design pressure
c. two pressure gauges should be used
d. only one recording gauge should be used
35. Safe test practices dictate that all pressure gauges used for bubble leak
testing should be calibrated
a. at least every 2 weeks
b. when taken from storage and prior to using
c. once a month whether in use or in storage
d. none of the above
36. Gauges used for vacuum box bubble leak testing should preferably
have dials graduated over a range of:
a. more than 5 times the intended pressure
b. atmospheric pressure
c. less than 10 times but more than 5 times the intended maximum
pressure
d. 3.6 times the maximum intended pressure
37. Good operating practice dictates that when performing bubble leak
tests on a pipe and vessel system, which of the following should be
used?
a. a gauge graduated in pounds per square foot
b. two gauges, one dial indicating and one recording
c. two gauges in English system and two gauges in metric system

d. Gauge with face diameter of at least 27 cm (10.5 in.) graduated in psia

38. When a vacuum gauge is marked with a range of 0-30 with the notation
vacuum on the face, the units of measurement are :
a. inches of mercury
b. pounds per square inch
c. centimeters of vacuum
d. feet of water
39. For immersion bubble leak testing, which of the following is correct?
a. pressure should be applied to the test specimen after it is immersed
b. increasing the pressure in the test specimen does not increase the
sensitivity of the test
c. the fluid in which the test specimen is immersed should have low
surface tension
d. water produces the most sensitive test results for this bubble test
technique
40. Which of the following is the least sensitive solution to use for
immersion bubble leak testing?
a. heated silicone oil
b. methyl alcohol
c. water with wetting agent
d. tap water
41. From the standpoint of simplicity, economy and rapidity of testing, the
best, method for creating the pressure differential for bubble leak
testing of very small sealed components which can be pressurized is
to :
a. use quick acting couplings on the incoming air supply
b. immerse them in a preheated low surface tension fluid bath
c. use quick acting couplings on a gatling gun type arrangement
d. install them in a chamber and evacuate the chamber.

Chapter 6
Q.No. Answers
1
D
2
B
3
C
4
A
5
D
6
B
7
C
8
D
9
B
10
A
11
D
12
D
13
B
14
A
15
C
16
C
17
B
18
C
19
D
20
D
21
A
22
D
23
B
24
C
25
D
26
A
27
C
28
B
29
D
30
D
31
A
32
A
33
C
34
C
35
B
36
B
37
B
38
A
39
C
40
D
41
B