Predicting material fatigue
A small crack in a metal wheel caused Germany’s worst-ever
rail accident – the 1998 Eschede train disaster. The problem: it was
practically impossible to detect damage of that nature to a metal by inspecting
it externally. But now scientists have succeeded in making material fatigue
visible. They designed new synthetic materials that emit light to report high
mechanical stress.
Researchers from the Technische Universität München (TUM),
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU) and
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) developed this new
technology for composite materials. These light yet robust materials are able
to withstand considerable mechanical loads. They are typically used in cars and
medical equipment.