I-Corps: Translation Potential of Sorption-Ultrasound for Real-Time Detection of Humidity-Induced Material Changes

This I-Corps project is based on the development of a technology that measures how materials respond to moisture. Moisture-induced changes can reduce the performance, stability, and lifetime of many products, which creates challenges for industries that rely on polymers, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, and advanced materials. This technology combines vapor sorption measurements with real-time monitoring of mechanical changes, allowing researchers to better predict material behavior and identify degradation before product failure occurs. Applications may include scientists and formulation engineers in pharmaceutical development, moisture-sensitive packaging, and consumer products. This may benefit users with the potential to reduce development time, lower testing costs, and improve the reliability of moisture-sensitive products. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of an integrated platform for simultaneous vapor sorption and ultrasonic materials characterization. Current vapor sorption instruments primarily measure mass uptake. This technology combines controlled humidity exposure with ultrasonic measurements to continuously monitor both mass transport and mechanical property changes during sorption experiments. In addition, this technology provides information about elastic properties, structural evolution, and degradation mechanisms in real time. The approach builds on advances in vapor sorption analysis, ultrasonic characterization, and materials science to provide non-destructive assessment of moisture-sensitive systems, including porous materials, polymers, and pharmaceutical formulations. Previous results demonstrated the feasibility of using this technology to track humidity-induced mechanical changes during material exposure. Combining sorption analysis with mechanical testing in a single platform may reduce experimental time and eliminate the need for multiple separate systems, which may accelerate material screening, reliability assessment, and data-driven product development. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.