AI helps predict coating degradation

Environmental conditions are factored into a machine learning model.

Environmental factors like UV irradiation, humidity and temperature fluctuations can affect coating performance.

Researchers from China and Thailand used nine different locations to assess atmospheric corrosion of polyurethane (PU) varnish coating.

Over a one-year period, the coatings were placed in Singapore, Guangxi (China), Nepal, Chennai (India), Kalimantan, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Cilacap (Indonesia), Cairo (Egypt) and Islamabad (Pakistan).

The data from that period was used to establish a correlation between key environmental data and the physical properties of coatings.

For the second stage, the predicted properties were fed into a machine learning model to distinguish between intact and damaged coatings.

The paper published in the journal npj Materials Degradation is Open Access.