Liquid Penetrant Testing Level 1 (PT-1) Practice Exam

What is bleed-out of penetrant from a cold shut an example of?

1. False indication

2. True indication

3. Fluorescent indication

4. Surface anomaly

The correct answer is: True indication

Bleed-out of penetrant from a cold shut is classified as a true indication because it is a response to a surface discontinuity where the penetrant material is drawn from the imperfections in the metal. In the context of liquid penetrant testing, true indications reflect actual defects present on the surface that the testing method is designed to highlight. When a penetrant is applied to a surface with a discontinuity such as a cold shut, it seeps into the void created by the defect. During the developer application phase, which pulls the penetrant from the surface, the bleed-out observed is an affirmation that there is an actual defect—for instance, a cold shut, which occurs due to improper welding or casting processes where the metal has not fused properly. This contrasts with false indications, which do not indicate an actual defect, but rather appear due to other factors such as surface contamination or improper application of the penetrant. Fluorescent indications refer to those that can be seen under ultraviolet light but do not inherently signify the nature of the defect itself. Surface anomalies are general terms that can refer to various surface conditions but do not specifically denote the bleed-out behavior indicative of a cold shut. Thus, the nature of bleed-out as a representation of penetrant