Which of the following statements about penetrant testing is false?

In penetrant testing, the primary goal is to detect surface discontinuities in materials. The testing process involves applying a penetrant to the surface of a component, allowing it to enter any cracks or voids, and then wiping the surface to remove excess penetrant before applying a developer to draw the penetrant out of the defects for observation.

Removing oil from parts before testing is essential because any residual oil can create a barrier that prevents the penetrant from properly entering into cracks or defects in the material. If oil is present on the surface, it can interfere with the wetting properties of the penetrant, leading to false negatives where defects may go undetected. Therefore, asserting that it's not necessary to remove oil prior to testing is incorrect.

The statement that the penetrant is basically an oil refers to the nature of many penetrants, which can be oil-based substances that are intended to seep into small fissures. While oil can be a component, the crucial point is that oil on the surface interferes with the penetrant's ability to function effectively.

The notion that films of oil do not interfere with testing is false because, as established, contaminants like oil can hinder the detection process by blocking the penetrant from reaching defects.

Lastly, contaminants such