Self Healing Polymers

By: Er. Amit Mahajan

Er. Palwinder Singh
 OUTLINE
• Introduction
• Materials
• Material Function
• Mechanical Behavior and Testing
• Results
• Applications
• Current Research
• Future Development
• Conclusion
 Problem Statement
• Composite Drawbacks
 a. Microcracking
 b.Delamination or debonding of
fiber
 and matrix
 c. Deterioration and degradation
 of polymers
• Damage is difficult to find and to fix
• Repair can be costly and time-
consuming
 Problem Solution
• Self healing materials:
 a.Resist or slow down degradation
 b.Extend life of material or part
 c.Automatic repair process
 d.Stop or slow crack growth
 e.Increased fracture toughness
 f.Crack tip shielding
 Materials Required
• There are several constituent materials which,
when combined function as self healing
material system:
• Healing Agent: Dicyclopentadiene (DCPD)
• Microcapsule shell: Urea–formaldehyde (UF)
(mean 166μm diameter)
• Chemical Catalyst: Bis(tricyclohexylphosphine)
bensylidine ruthenium (IV)
• Flexiblizer: Heloxy 71, Shell Chemical Company
used to improve toughness and crack growth
stability.
• Polymer Matrix: Epoxy Polymer Matrix EPON
828
• Fiber Reinforcement: Carbon Fiber (Plain weave
fabric constructed with 3K towns)
 Panel With Self Healing
Agent
• Manufactured by hand lay-up and compression
molding
• Edges were taped with 25 μm polyester tap to prevent
fraying of the fabric
• Epon 828 was mixed with flexibilizer at 5:3 ratio
concentration
• The DCPD microcapsules were thoroughly mixed with
resin
• The resin was degassed in a vacuum chamber for 15
minutes to remove entrapped air bubbles
• Resin was applied with a brush to prevent rupture of
the microcapsules
• The resin embedded panels were pressed at 2225 N at
25 ºC for 24h
• Cured panels were placed in an oven for post cure at
30 ºC for 48h
 How Self Healing Materials
Work
• A microencapsulated healing agent is
embedded in a composite matrix
containing a catalyst capable of
polymerizing the healing agent.
 i. Cracks form in the matrix wherever
 damage occurs.
 ii. The crack ruptures the microcapsules,

 releasing the healing agent into the

crack
 plane through capillary action.
iii. The healing agent contacts the catalyst

triggering
 Sample Specimens
• Width Tapered Double
 Cantilever Beam
 (WTDCB)


 a.For most testing

 conditions, it is difficult
 to measure crack length
 b.Used to make energy
 release rate independent of crack
 length
 Test Procedures
• Uniaxial Loading on MTS machine
 a. 5 mm/min up to crack-opening
 displacement (δ) of 25 to 30mm
 b. Apply Healing treatment
 c. Close crack and heal for 48 hrs
at room
 temp
 d.Test healed sample

 Possible Applications
• Tough paint for navy ships
• Space applications
• Self healing coatings for steel
structure
• Bio-inspired materials
• Transport vehicles
• Cementitious materials
• Composites and hybrids
 Current Research
 • To create self-healing materials,researchers
begin by building a scaffold using a robotic
deposition process
• Once the scaffold has been produced, it is

surrounded
 with an epoxy resin
• After curing, the resin is heated and the ink

is extracted, leaving behind a substrate with

a network of interlocking microchannels
• Finally, deposit a brittle epoxy coating on
top of the
 substrate and fill the network with a liquid
healing agent
 Problems associated with
Current Research
• Healing process stops after 7 healing
 cycles
• Design needs improvement
 Future Work
• Improve existing self healing systems
• Improve healing consistency with
selfassembling agents
• Produce a new generation of
structural materials
 Conclusion
• Brittle materials are susceptible to
cracking
 and limited lifetimes
• Self-healing materials consist of healing
 agents and catalyst embedded in a
matrix of reinforcement fibers and
polymers
• Can improve lifetime and slow crack
growth
• Healing efficiency of 38% (RT) and 66%
 (80C)