Strain-Detecting Composite Materials

NASA Langley Research Center has developed a metallic material that can be embedded into structural alloys to enhance nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of a structure. Current NDE tools, such as eddy current probes and others, can have some difficulties detecting small flaws in certain materials and structures. Also, using them can be costly, time-consuming, and labor-intensive, often resulting in significant downtime in the case of examination of machinery and vehicles. This innovation is to embed particles that react to strain with easily detected acoustic emissions and change in magnetic properties.