In nearly every industry, corrosion is a killer. Despite products designed to stave off rust, it’s almost seen as an inevitability that impacts everything from large apartment buildings to bridges, aircraft, and other vehicles to gas pipelines. But now, a novel new sensor developed by a team of researchers at Bournemouth University could catch corrosion and "micro-defects” before catastrophe strikes.
According to researchers, the sensor works like the regular health screenings our doctors often pressure us to schedule or even that smartwatch telling you it’s time to move or that you slept poorly last night.
Corrosion sensors aren’t new — they’ve been used to prevent costly repairs and accidents for many years, but this new design is wireless. So, structures can be continuously monitored offsite instead of a maintenance worker required onsite.
Another benefit? The new sensors can work on any surface. Traditionally, these types of sensors only worked on metal surfaces so the electricity from the sensor could pass through.
According to the researchers, this is a particular problem in aviation, where engineers need to remove patches of non-conductive coatings to find a conductive surface, which kind of runs counter to the corrosion the coatings are made to prevent.
The sensor is an electrochemical cell measurement device with an electrically conductive body enclosing a cavity with an electrolyte solution holding at least one electrode. The highly conductive design system helps it assess structural integrity beneath non-conductive coatings. The sensor is about 1 meter long and has internal magnets, which allow it to be attached to metal surfaces without adhesive.
What is perhaps most interesting is where this concept originated. The team works with the Bovington Tank Museum in England, which holds one of the world’s largest collections of tanks and other vehicles. The sensor was initially developed to monitor tanks for corrosion to preserve the cultural heritage.
The tech has been successfully field tested on a pedestrian footbridge and a car. In addition, it has been patented in the U.S. and the U.K., and the researchers are now looking for partners to help commercialize it.
