Overview
Topic status: We're looking for students to study this topic.
Polymer composites form the basis of many light-weight structural materials, including aircraft parts. Of major concern with the use of these materials is impact damage from foreign objects. Such impact damage may not be directly visible but may be significant within the internal composite structure eventually leading to catastrophic failure of the material. Internal sensors within composite structures are therefore required to assess such damage. Fibre optic sensors are well suited to this task and can be used in a number of modes including as fluorescent sensors. Within our group a number of polymer damage sensing compounds known as profluorescent nitroxides (PFNs) have been developed. PFNs have been shown to be potent sensors for free-radicals within polymers (which can be caused by mechanical damage) via the production of a fluorescent glow.
Hypothesis/Aim: This project will link the polymer damage sensing ability of PFNs to a fibre optic sensor within polymer materials, with the main aim being to develop a PFN-based fibre optic sensor for the determination of mechanical damage within polymers and polymer composites.
Approaches: Development of the PFN-based fibre optic sensors will include: chemical modification of optical fibres; determination and synthesis of suitable mechano-sensitive optical fibre coatings; incorporation of the developed fibre optic sensors into polymer materials including composites, followed by testing through various forms of mechanical damage and analysis via fluorescence spectroscopy.
References
- Kathryn E. Fairfull-Smith et al., Macromolecules, 2008, 41 (5), pp 1577-1580.
- Jeremy M. Lenhardt et al., Science, 2010, 329, pp 1057-1060.
- Study level
- Honours
- Supervisors
- QUT
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Contact
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Please contact the supervisor.
Professor Steven Bottle
Dr John Colwell
