SELF-HEALING POLYMERS - THE IMPORTANCE OF CHOOSING AN ADEQUATE HEALING ADHESIVE

摘要

Since their inception nearly a decade ago, self-healing polymers and composites have become an emerging field in academia and received substantial interest among industry leaders [1,2], One of the most prevalent self-healing materials developed to date incorporates two particulate fillers-microencapsulated liquid adhesives and catalyst particles-within its polymer matrix [3, 4]. Upon material fracture, several microcapsules are ruptured, releasing the core adhesive resin into the damage volume. When the adhesive contacts the catalyst particles, also revealed on the crack surface, it cures and effectively bonds the two damage surfaces together (Figure 1).