T.O. 33B-1-12.4.5.4.2HighTemperatureLimitations.Sensitivity is improved slightly when test part temperatures are 120oF (49oC) to 150oF (65.5oC). The highertemperature evaporates some of the liquid, which increases the dye concentration and improves the visibilityof indications. The elevated temperature also reduces viscosity, which speeds penetration. However, thedisadvantages of elevated temperatures outweigh the advantages. At temperatures of 120oF (49oC), thevolatile components of penetrants are rapidly evaporated. During penetrant dwell, the layer of penetrant isvery thin and with a part temperature of more than 120oF (49oC), the loss of volatile components willdrastically change the penetrants composition. Elevated temperatures also reduce visible dye color andf luorescence (heat fade), making indications less visible. Penetrant inspection SHALL NOT be performed onparts whose temperatures exceed 120oF (49oC), unless special high temperature penetrants are used. Ingeneral if a part is too hot to handle, it is too hot for penetrant testing.2.4.5.5PenetrantDwell.2.4.5.5.1Definition.Penetrant dwell is the total length of time the penetrant is allowed to remain on the part before removal ofthe penetrant. This includes immersion, soak and drain times. The purpose of dwell is to allow the penetrantto seep into and fill any surface openings.2.4.5.5.2FactorsInf luencingPenetrantDwell.There are a number of interacting factors that inf luence the length of time required for penetrant to enterand fill a surface void. Some of the factors are included in the list, which is followed by descriptions of eachitem.a.Width and depth of the void.b.Type of penetrant.c.Part material and form.d.Type of discontinuity.e.Penetrant viscosity.f.Cleanliness of the void.2.4.5.5.2.1VoidSize.The dwell time required for a penetrant to enter and fill a surface void depends mainly on the width of thesurface opening and depth of the void. Penetrant enters and fills voids with wide openings more rapidly thanthose with narrow openings. Very narrow or tight f laws, such as those associated with fatigue cracking, mayrequire 2 to 5 times the length of dwell time needed for a wider f law caused by over-stressing. The larger voiddepth requires more time to fill because there is more volume of void.2.4.5.5.2.2PenetrantSensitivity.The sensitivity level of penetrants is affected by the length of penetrant dwell time. The differences in dwelltimes are due to the differences in surface tension, contact angle, and viscosity of the various penetrant typesand sensitivities. While viscosities between manufacturers of the same type and sensitivity level vary, thecombination of factors tends to stabilize dwell time for each type and sensitivity. This allows penetrantswithin each of the sensitivity levels to have equivalent dwell times.2.4.5.5.2.3PartMaterialandForm.The effect of part material (steel, magnesium, aluminum, etc.) and form (castings, forgings, welds, etc.) onpenetrant dwell relates to the type of f law typically found. For example, cold shuts in steel casting tend tohave tighter openings than cold shuts in magnesium castings. Therefore, the dwell time for cold shuts insteel castings is longer than the dwell time in magnesium and aluminum castings. Discontinuities occurringin forgings are tighter than in castings and require more dwell time.2.4.5.5.2.4TypeofDiscontinuity.The various types of discontinuities differ in the width of the opening. Laps are tighter than porosity, andfatigue cracks are tighter than either laps or porosity. The required length of penetrant dwell increases asthe discontinuity width decreases (surface opening becomes tighter or narrower).Change 22-41
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