Delamination Toughening of Carbon-Epoxy Laminate with a PoIyethylene-co-Methacrylic Acid (EMAA) Self-Healing Modifier

摘要

One promising new technology to repair delamination damage in composite materials is the use of so-called self-healing (or mendable) polymers. This paper presents research into the repair of delaminations in carbon fibre-epoxy using the mendable thermoplastic agent polyethylene-co-methacrylic acid (EMAA). This healing agent was able to restore the mode I interlaminar fracture toughness by a novel repair mechanism. The recovery to the interlaminar toughness after healing was dependent on the concentration of EMAA, and improvements of up to three times higher than the original toughness were achieved. The EMAA was also capable of restoring the mode I fatigue delamination resistance. The healing mechanisms responsible for the repair of delamination damage and restoration of the delamination resistance under static and fatigue interlaminar loading are described in the paper.