Self-Healing Fuel Bladders by Microencapsulation

Areas of research relating to self-healing polymer structures have been undertaken by well-known and respected institutions and commercial entities. Patent literature and technical publications describe their novel engineering approaches using microencapsulated systems that release reactive healing agents via suitable mechanisms when shell walls are opened by pre-determined events. Flexible fuel bladders for aircraft exhibit an inordinate number of pin hole leaks, seam leaks, and leaks at metal fitting-to-bladder interfaces. To date there have been no developments for self-healing technologies that can address leaking aircraft fuel bladders. Our unique expertise has allowed us to correctly identify reaction kinetics and manufacturing processes to produce unique self-healing microcapsules with reactants that quickly and completely heal damaged polymers. Our team of polymer chemists and polymer engineers will tailor our novel microcapsules to deliver a novel self-healing fuel bladder. Our insight into aspects of physical polymer chemistry, chemical synthesis, and polymer engineering principals will allowed us to implement our novel product to arrest fuel bladder leaks.