The aim of the research project is to develop magnetosensitive floorcare coatings that enable precise measurement of coating thickness by means of a sensor array attached to cleaning machines for detecting external magnetic fields (measuring unit).

By means of a specially developed measurement and evaluation procedure (including measurement and evaluation algorithms), it is possible to detect a large-area or local undercutting of the minimum coating thickness during maintenance cleaning.

The magnetosensitive coatings are based on specially developed magnetic nanoprobes that are included in maintenance dispersions.

Polymer systems are bound to a magnetic nanoparticle (magnetic core) via alkali-labile linkers, the composition of which is adapted to the filming polymers (organic shell).

Due to the magnetic properties of the core, the nanoprobes, after alignment of their magnetic moments (e.g. by means of magnets attached to cleaning machines), generate a directed magnetic field that can be detected by the measuring unit.

Furthermore, after detachment of the coatings during basic cleaning, simple separation of the nanoprobes from the cleaning liquor is possible (e.g. in the waste water tank by means of machine-integrated magnets).

The organic shell enables a homogeneous distribution of the nanoprobes in the cleaning dispersion and coating.

During basic cleaning, the organic shell is detached from the core due to hydrolytic cleavage of the alkali-labile linkers in the form of short-chain polymers, which can be removed from the floor covering in a similar way to the filming polymers.

The project results provide an automated method for the process-integrated determination of the coating quality of resilient floor coverings, which enables the renewal of care coatings as required.