Smart Coatings / Sensor Blankets for Health Monitoring

"This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will identify corrosion with a smart coating. A smart coating is one that will predict its' own faiure and will warn of coating degradation prior to significant deterioration of the structure.Benchmarks will be established for organic (PDA)/inorganic(silica) composite films that are thermal and mechanically stable and exhibit a chromatic response when exposed to a different thermal, mechanical, or chemical environment. This color shift can bedetected using spectroscopic methods making the sensor non-intrusive.Fiber optics can be routed to inaccessible areas of critical components. Whithout disassembly, and using the benchmarks established from testing, and operator will know the exact condition of the component and will not have to make a judgement decision asto the severity of the corrosion. Readings taken of the color shift over a period of time will indicte to the operator the speed at which the degradation is taking place. The applications and commercial potential for this technology cover every industry,both government and private, that have hadware, machinery, and equipment ot maintain."