degradatiecurves

Degradatiecurves, or degradation curves, are graphical representations that show how a property of a material, product, or system declines over time or with exposure to stressors. They summarize deterioration processes and are used to assess reliability, remaining performance, and maintenance needs. The curves can describe electrical capacity, mechanical strength, optical transmission, mass loss, or other measurable attributes.

Common forms and models include exponential decay, linear degradation, and logistic or sigmoid shapes. Exponential decay implies a constant proportional degradation rate, often seen in processes governed by first-order kinetics. Linear degradation indicates a steady, constant loss per unit time. Sigmoid or piecewise models accommodate fast initial changes followed by slower aging or abrupt failure. Temperature and other environmental factors can be incorporated through Arrhenius or other accelerated-life relationships, and damage accumulation can lead to power-law or wear-out regimes. In practice, models are selected based on the underlying mechanism and fitted to data using statistical methods to estimate parameters and uncertainty.

Data for degradatiecurves come from laboratory tests, accelerated life testing, or field monitoring. Measurements may include capacity or strength, electrical resistance, mass, corrosion rate, or optical/electronic performance. From the fitted curve, metrics such as half-life, time-to-failure, and predicted remaining useful life are derived.

Applications span batteries (capacity fade curves), polymers and composites (mechanical and chemical aging), electronics (dielectric or conductive degradation), solar modules (power output decline), and corrosion studies. Limitations include variability under real-world conditions, extrapolation beyond observed data, and the presence of multiple interacting degradation mechanisms that complicate interpretation.