Smart paint can detect microscopic faults in large structures
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Environmentally-friendly paint uses nanotechnology to detect movement in large structures, and could shape the future of safety monitoring.
Nanotechnology has been used to develop a new smart paint
Source: Peter Eggermann - Fotolia.com
Environmentally-friendly paint uses nanotechnology to detect movement in large structures, and could shape the future of safety monitoring.
The low-cost smart paint that can detect microscopic faults in wind turbines, mines and bridges before structural damage occurs is being developed by researchers at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.
Traditional methods of assessing large structures are complex, time consuming and use expensive instrumentation. According to the scientists involved, the smart paint causes just a fraction of the cost and can be simply sprayed onto any surface, with electrodes attached to detect structural damage long before failure occurs. The paint is formed using a recycled waste product known as fly ash and highly aligned carbon nanotubes. When mixed it has a cement-like property which makes it particularly useful in harsh environments.
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