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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/N27705/01
Title: SMART POLYMERIC COATINGS AS REMOTE OPTICAL STRAIN SENSORS
Principal Investigator: Stanford, Professor JL
Other Investigators:
Lovell, Professor PA Young, Professor RJ Reid, Professor SR
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Renishaw plc (UK) T A Instruments Ltd
Department: Materials
Organisation: University of Manchester, The
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 January 2001 Ends: 30 September 2004 Value (£): 282,475
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Instrumentation Eng. & Dev. Materials Processing
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Aerospace, Defence and Marine Manufacturing
Construction Transport Systems and Vehicles
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The proposal is for funding to develop a polymeric optical strain sensor system in the Unit for 'Residual Stress and Damage Characterisation in Materials and Engineering Components' established recently in Manchester under the JIF initiative. This will be undertaken in collaboration with the UMIST Wolfson Unit for 'Optical Stress and Strain Measurement'.The project will involve the development of diacetylene copolymer coatings capable of undergoing controlled cross-polymerisation in UV light. Methods of application of these coatings to a variety of different substrates (eg metallic, polymeric, composite) will be investigated. The possibility of following the deformation of the substrate from strain-induced Raman band shifts in the coating will be investigated using a Renishaw 100 remote Raman spectrometer. This will involve modifications to both the hardware and software of the spectrometer in order to produce a practical instrument.The sensor system is potentially capable of measuring surface strain directionally to a precision of 0.01% in regions as small as 2 microns in size with no physical contact with the surface. It will have many potential applications for strain monitoring in the aerospace, transport, marine, construction and engineering industries.EngProg\
Key Findings
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Summary
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Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.man.ac.uk