Optical fiber sensors that change color on contact with targeted substances have been modified and now they can be used to detect chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial compounds. Jointly created by NASA and industry to warn of corrosive conditions in aerospace vehicles, the highly sensitive chemical scanners can also be used to monitor airplanes and large facilities.
Corrosion, especially in jumbo jets, is a multibillion dollar problem in the United States alone. NASA, in its role as an aeronautics innovator, has invested in research to find better coatings to prevent corrosion as well as to detect it more efficiently. Detection is especially useful for existing aircraft, which need more repairs as they age and for which it would be expensive and difficult to retrofit with a new anti-corrosive material or coating.
Learn more about how NASA helped develop technology that impacts chemical detection within your city's manufacturing environment!