The Danger of Sandblasting a Part Before Penetrant Testing

What is a danger of sandblasting a part to clean it before penetrant testing?

Final answer: Sandblasting, though effective for cleaning, can cause false negatives in penetrant testing by obscuring small defects and may even create micro-cracks or deform the material.

Explanation:

Sandblasting is a method used to clean or finish surfaces by pushing solid particles at high speed onto the surface. However, when used to clean a part before penetrant testing, it has the potential to impact the integrity of the part. The primary danger is that small imperfections or defects in the surface can be obscured by the process. This can lead to a higher risk of false negatives during testing. Notably, the sandblasting process may also create micro-cracks or cause plastic deformation, thereby altering the part's material properties. Therefore, despite sandblasting being effective in cleaning parts, it has potential setbacks when used before penetrant testing.