Smartaqua is a three-year project by a consortium made up of the University of Aveiro (Portugal), Sintef Materials and Chemistry (Norway) and Aquabiotech Ltd (Malta) that aims to develop smart nanostructured layers for sensing corrosion in aquatic structures.
The sensing properties will be achieved by the incorporation of smart additives which are responsive to the local conditions verified close to the metal substrate, combining colorimetric with magnetic detection, thus monitoring the overall integrity of the structure.
The additives to be developed are based upon inorganic hosting structures for controlled release of optically active species such as pH indicators and magnetic nanoparticles. Application scenarios for this technology include aquaculture structures, offshore wind foundations, oil and gas structures and ship hulls.
For more information, call the AquabioTech Group on 2258 4100, send an e-mail to info@aquabt.com or log on to www.aquabt.com.