Essay On Self Repairing

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SELF-REPAIRING POLYMER TECHNOLOGY ABSTRACT Initiation of cracks and other types of damage on microscopic level is a critical problem in polymers during their service in structural applications and has been shown to change thermal, electrical, and acoustical properties, and eventually leading to whole scale failure of the material. Therefore, early sensing, diagnosis and repair of microcracks become necessary for removing the latent perils. In this context, the materials possessing self-healing function are ideal for long-term operation. Self-repairing polymers are based on the concept of human body's natural response to damage and its ability to recover with minimal external help. The advances in this field show that …show more content…

Many plastic materials are strong and resistant to breaking. However, once fractured, the material deteriorates irreversibly. Even under normal wearing, plastics used to develop small cracks that also grow irreversibly. This leads to degradation of their mechanical properties and decreasing life time of such materials. This is where self-repairing is needed the most. The working principle of self-repairing mechanism is based on having small capsules filled with repairing glue. These capsules are mixed within the polymer body. The glue activator (needed to rigidify the glue inside the cracks) is also added to the polymer body. When microcracks are developed in the polymer body, these also rapture the capsules. The glue leaks in the cracks and heals them before cracks can get any bigger. Another approach is based on using hollow fibers instead of microcapsules. Hollow fibers based on glass tubes are filled with either resin or hardener, which are released into the damaged area when the fibers are fractured. When the resin and the hardener are mixed in the crack plane, the resin hardens, repairing the

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