A Material that 'Bruises' Like Skin
Phoenix666 writes:
A material that 'bruises' like skin:
Human skin bruises when the tissue and muscle in the area suffer trauma or become damaged due to the application of blunt force. However, when an object suffers an impact, it is necessary to examine every inch of the surface of the material to understand the extent of the damage. An airplane, for example, it is fully inspected to ensure safety. If the areas damaged by a physical impact undergo a change in color, just like human skin, it will be easy to distinguish what needs to be repaired.
Spiropyran, a molecule that reacts to external force, changes color when it is physically stimulated due to a change in its chemical structure. When injected into concrete or silicone, it reacts to mechanical stimuli such as force, deformation and damage by changing color. However, the mechano-sensitivity of spiropyran is too low for real-life applications. When applied to silicone, for example, the color changes only after deformation of at least 500%.
The researchers' technique improved the sensitivity of spiropyran 850%.
Journal Reference:
Dong Woo Kim et al, Enhancement of Mechano-Sensitivity for Spiropyran-Linked Poly(dimethylsiloxane) via Solvent Swelling, Macromolecules (DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00985)
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