Smart Mxene Enabled Marine Composite Materials for Structural Health Monitoring of Offshore Engineering Systems

Abstract

Offshore structures are exposed to seawater, corrosion, cyclic loading, fatigue, and mechanical degradation, requiring durable materials with integrated structural health monitoring (SHM) capabilities for functioning effectively. Conventional SHM systems generally depend on separately mounted sensors, thereby increasing system complexity and vulnerability to harsh marine environments. This research develops a smart MXene-enabled marine composite for integrated damage and deformation monitoring of offshore engineering structures. Marine-grade epoxy polymer matrix, amine-based hardener, Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene nanomaterial, and glass fiber reinforcement were used to fabricate smart marine composite materials for SHM, and they were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), electrical conductivity, tensile, and piezoresistive strain-sensing tests. Saltwater immersion and cyclic loading are performed to assess marine durability and sensing stability. The composite exhibits effective MXene dispersion, conductive-network formation, repeatable resistance responses, and sensitivity to mechanical deformation and progressive damage. MXene composite achieved maximum conductivity of 3.962 S/m at 2.0 wt.% loading. Overall, MXene-enabled marine composites provide a promising approach for lightweight, durable, and integrated SHM of offshore engineering structures.