Corrosion proxy material integrated sensor devices for distributed sensing of early corrosion onset and corrosion quantification

1. A method for detecting corrosion using a detector apparatus with a host component:

the detector apparatus comprising:

a light source;

a corrosion proxy thin film in communication with the light source, where the corrosion proxy thin film corrodes at a rate where a normalized change of mass of the corrosion proxy thin film over a time is greater than a normalized change of mass of a bulk material of the host component in a harsh environment;

an optical detector, wherein the optical detector is capable of detecting a change in energy due to corrosion of the corrosion proxy thin film;

an optical fiber in communication with the light source, the corrosion proxy thin film and the optical detector;

the method comprising:

exposing the host component and the corrosion proxy thin film to the harsh environment; and

detecting a change in energy using the optical detector due to corrosion of the corrosion proxy thin film, where the optical detector is capable of detecting a change in light transmission through the optical fiber due to corrosion of the corrosion proxy thin film.

2. A detector apparatus used with a host component for detecting corrosion of the host component in a corrosive environment, the detector apparatus comprising:

a light source;

a corrosion proxy thin film comprised of at least one metal embedded in an oxide in communication with the light source, where the corrosion proxy thin film corrodes at a rate where a normalized change of mass of the corrosion proxy thin film over a time is greater that a normalized change of mass of a bulk material of the host component;

an optical detector, wherein the optical detector is capable of detecting a change in energy due to corrosion of the corrosion proxy thin film; and

an optical fiber in communication with the light source, the corrosion thin proxy film and the optical detector, wherein the optical detector is capable of detecting a change in light through the optical fiber due to corrosion of the corrosion proxy thin film.

3. The method of claim 1 further wherein the harsh environment comprises a corrosive environment.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting the proxy thin film based at least in part on the rate of corrosion of the host component.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical detector employs optical backscattering based interrogation without the need for a fiber Bragg grating.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical detector employs corrosion proxy materials integrated with a cladded optical fiber and using optical backscattering based interrogation to monitor local strain at the corrosion proxy location.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein corrosion proxy thin film is comprised of material selected from a group comprising silver, copper, silver oxide nanocomposites, copper oxide nanocomposites, and silver silicon dioxide.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising integrating the corrosion proxy thin film into the host component.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the detector is an optical detector employing optical backscattering based interrogation without the need for a fiber Bragg grating.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the detector is an optical detector employing corrosion proxy materials integrated with a cladded optical fiber and using optical backscattering based interrogation to monitor local strain at the corrosion proxy location.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein corrosion proxy thin film is comprised of material selected from a group comprising silver, copper, silver oxide nanocomposites, Copper oxide nanocomposites, and silver silicon dioxide.