Liquid Crystals are mainly know for
their use in liquid crystal displays (LCD). They have the ability to
change color when a current is passed through them but they also can
change color when a normal or shear stress is exerted on the
crystalline structure.
There is currently a need in the market for a shear stress sensor that doesn't require lab conditions for accurate results and can decouple shear stress from normal stress. It is hypothesized that this can be done with cholesteric crystals. The crystals must be very thin (on the order of microns) in order for the crystals to be effective in decoupling normal and shear stress. The cholesteric crystals will be tested in liquid form first due to the high cost of a polymerized form of the crystals but would be implemented in their polymerized form if proven effective.
To discover if cholesteric crystals can be used as a practical tool for measuring shear stress an apparatus must be designed and built specifically for the crystals. The apparatus must then be paired with sensors and programmed. Once this is done the crystals can be tested. The overall goal of the project is to give an unbiased interpretation of whether cholesteric crystals can measure shear stress without being influenced by normal pressure and other environmental factors.
