Self-Healing, Self-Diagnosing Fiber Reinforced Multifunctional Composites

Multifunctional composite materials would alleviate longstanding problems in composite structures associated with multiple types of damage mechanisms such as mechanical/thermal fatigue, microcracking, and debonding. Self-healing polymers consist of a healing agent that is stored in microcapsules and released whenever cracking occurs in the polymer. The healing agent flows into the cracks and is polymerized in place, effectively sealing the cracks and allowing the material to recover structural function. Repair of damage is accomplished automatically and without human intervention, improving performance and service-life. The team of CU Aerospace (CUA) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will develop a self-healing resin as the matrix phase for a self-healing structural composite for a wide variety of military and commercial applications. CUA will also investigate the potential for multiple healing events and sensing techniques to monitor composite degradation.