Rapid and wireless screening and health monitoring of materials and structures

A method for screening and health monitoring of materials, the method comprising:

• embedding a material with magneto-electric nanoparticles (MENs);
• and
• providing a conductive coil disposed at a target position on a surface of the material;
• providing a power source electrically connected to the conductive coil;
• providing an analyzer configured to detect magnetic characteristics of the conductive coil;
• and
• detecting, by the analyzer, whether a structural defect is present by measuring a magnetization at a local region of the material by causing an alternating current (AC) signal to be transmitted to the conductive coil in a range of from 100 Hz to 1 GHz, detecting a signal response over the range, and generating an M-H hysteresis loop.

A system for screening and health monitoring of materials, the system comprising:

• a material embedded with magneto-electric nanoparticles (MENs);
• a conductive coil disposed at a target position on a surface of the material;
• a power source electrically connected to the conductive coil;
• and
• an analyzer configured to detect whether a structural defect is present in the material by detecting magnetic characteristics of the conductive coil,
• the MENs being comprised of a ferromagnetic core and a piezoelectric shell surrounding the ferromagnetic core,
• the ferromagnetic core being comprised of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4),
• the piezoelectric shell being comprised of barium titanate (BaTiO3),
• a diameter of the MENs being a width within a range of from 10 nm to over 100 nm,
• the power source being configured to transmit an alternating current (AC) signal to the conductive coil in a range of from 100 Hz to 1 GHz, and
• the analyzer being further configured to:
• cause the AC signal to be transmitted to the conductive coil in the range of from 100 Hz to 1 GHz;
• detect a signal response over the range;
• and
• generate an M-H hysteresis loop.