12-4-07
Catalyst-free Chemistry Makes Self-healing Materials More Practical
ScienceDaily, (2007), Catalyst-free Chemistry Makes Self-healing Materials More Practical
A new catalyst-free, self-healing material system developed by researchers at the University of Illinois offers a far less expensive and far more practical way to repair composite materials used in structural applications ranging from airplane fuselages to wind-farm propeller blades.
The new self-healing system incorporates chlorobenzene microcapsules, as small as 150 microns in diameter, as an active solvent. The expensive, ruthenium-based Grubbs’ catalyst, which was required in the researchers’ first approach, is no longer needed. During normal use, epoxy-based materials experience stresses that can cause cracking, which can lead to mechanical failure. Autonomous self-healing — a process in which the damage itself triggers the repair mechanism — can retain structural integrity and extend the lifetime of the material.
By reading this article, I learned that a new self-healing material has been developed. It offers a new way to repair composite materials used in structural applications.
