noun
- substances that can pass through or into materials, especially liquids used in industrial testing to detect flaws
Usage: technical; industrial
Examples
- The quality control team used fluorescent penetrants to check for cracks in the metal components.
- Liquid penetrants are commonly applied to detect surface defects in welded joints.
- The inspector waited for the penetrants to seep into any potential flaws before cleaning the surface.
- Different types of penetrants are selected based on the material being tested.
- The penetrants revealed hairline fractures that were invisible to the naked eye.