The Development of a Novel Photoelastic and Mechanoluminescent Coating for Full-Field Strain Measurements

Reflection photoelastic strain analysis (RPSA) is a well-established experimental strain analysis technique that provides users with immediate qualitative and quantitative information. However, the technique suffers from extensive and complicated application processes that reduce the usability of RPSA. This research demonstrates the use of a new practical photoelastic coating material that improves upon current application processes while maintaining a sensitivity to strains comparable to commercial materials. By developing a standard operating procedure for use alongside digital photoelastic methods, the new photoelastic coating possesses a strain-optic coefficient of 0.080 ± 0.003 (a medium-high sensitivity coating) with the ability for automatic thickness corrections between applied thicknesses of 50 and 100 μm. Additionally, this research aims to investigate the applications of a dual-technique coating by introducing a mechanoluminescent phosphor. The strain-induced light field can be observed simultaneously with photoelasticity providing the potential for an innovative full-field strain measurement technique. This research will investigate the feasibility of this dual-technique coating along with the representation of the strain-induced mechanoluminescent light.