Interactive coatings, surfaces and materials
AssigneeThe Penn State Research Foundation
InventorsDouglas E. Wolfe, Matthew Kelly, Brian M. Gabriel
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Abstract
The present invention provides in-situ health monitoring and non-destructive evaluation and early detection of corrosion, damage, failure, flaws, defects, and subsurface inspection by the generation of electromagnetic responsive surfaces, coatings and coating systems.
Claims26
A coating for non-destructive detection and evaluation of surfaces and sub-surfaces comprising:
- a host material adapted for coating and adhering to a surface of a structure or member, a luminescent material incorporated into and compatible with the host material;
- the luminescent material having an emission response when stimulated by stimulation means to indicate areas of concern in the host material;
- the emission response at a flaw in the host material being less detectable than the emission response from the host material and having a contrast from the host material.
A system providing non-destructive detection and evaluation of surfaces and sub-surfaces of a member or structure, the system comprising:
- a host member comprising a surface, wherein integrity detection and evaluation of the surface is desired;
- one or more coatings covering the surface of the host member;
- a luminescent material incorporated into and compatible with the one or more coatings;
- interrogation means comprising a stimulate;
- the luminescent material stimulated by the stimulate emitted from the interrogation means and providing an emission response to indicate flaws in the one or more coatings on the host member;
- a flaw in the one or more coatings, the flaw having a response less detectable than the emission response surrounding the flaw.
A method for non-destructively detecting and evaluating surface and subsurface regions of a member or structure, the method comprising:
- providing a member or structure wherein integrity detection and evaluation of surfaces and sub-surfaces of the member or structure are desired;
- incorporating a UV phosphor material into a coating compatible with the luminescent material and surface of the member or structure;
- applying the coating to the surface of the member or structure;
- stimulating the luminescent material in the coating with an electromagnetic stimulate;
- and
- detecting an emission response from the luminescent material to identify a flaw in the coating, the flaw having a weaker response to the electromagnetic stimulate than the coating proximate the flaw.
A coating system for detecting flaws in coated surfaces, the system comprising:
- a surface having a flaw, the flaw having a response;
- a coating covering the surface;
- a luminescent material in the surface coating, the surface coating having an emission response;
- and
- a detection of the flaw in the surface comprising the emission response from the coating being greater than the response from the flaw in the surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.