Low-cost corrosion monitoring sensors based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology

Army ground vehicles are exposed to severe operational environments, and corrosion is one of the most expensive issues to be addressed during the life cycle of the vehicles. Low-cost and simple corrosion monitoring systems are highly demanded to help the Army manage corrosion-induced maintenance and service, reduce the inspection and maintenance cost, and improve the readiness of the vehicles. Most currently available corrosion monitoring systems require either powered sensors or a physical connection to the sensors to obtain measurements, which makes the sensor design and the measurement complicated and expensive. In this study, a cost-effective, wireless corrosion monitoring system based on the radio frequency identification technology (RFID) was developed. Technical issues regarding the fabrication of effective RFID corrosion sensors by plastic metallization were identified and addressed. Prototype corrosion monitoring sensors were successfully fabricated using a conductive paint spray method. Relationships between the thickness of the conductive coating and the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding were established. Marine environment corrosion tests showed that the degradation of the conductive coating caused the restoration of the RF signal and proved the concept of corrosion sensing using RFID technology.