STRATEGIES FOR SYNTHESIS AND APPLICATIONS OF SELF REPAIRING MATERIALS TO INCREASE DURABILITY OF POLYMERIC MATERIALS

Abstract

Self-Repairing technology is an autonomic route to repair damage in advanced polymers to extend their lifetime. Self-Repairing has three conceptual approaches: capsule-based repairing systems, vascular healing systems, and intrinsic healing polymers. A variety of self-repairing systems have been developed for mechanical self-healing, protective coatings, and electronic self-healing. These self-repairing systems rely on functional groups within the polymer, microvascular networks, or compartmentalization in capsules and particles. The healing agents become active in the crack plane upon damage, forming new bonds that heal the material. Of these systems, compartmentalization offers a simple and inexpensive means to apply self-healing to current advanced polymer applications. Self-healing can be autonomic, automatic without human intervention, or may require some external energy or pressure. All classes of polymers, from thermosets to thermoplastics to elastomers, have potential for self-healing. The majority of research has focused on the recovery of mechanical integrity following quasi-static fracture.The present article reviews the method of preparation and its possible applications.