Light generating microcapsules for self-healing polymer applications

An in-situ light generation process comprising:

• forming an article of manufacture that includes a self-healing polymeric material, the self-healing polymeric material comprising:
• a polymeric matrix material;
• a plurality of monomer mixture microcapsules dispersed in the polymeric matrix material, each monomer mixture microcapsule of the plurality of monomer mixture microcapsules encapsulating a mixture of materials that includes monomers and a photoinitiator;
• and
• a plurality of light generating microcapsules dispersed in the polymeric matrix material, each light generating microcapsule of the plurality of light generating microcapsules encapsulating multiple reactants that undergo a chemiluminescent reaction within the respective light generating microcapsule in response to application of a compressive force, the chemiluminescent reaction generating a photon having a wavelength within a particular emission range that is consistent with an absorption range of the photoinitiator;
• and
• exposing the article of manufacture to an environment that results in formation of a crack in the polymeric matrix material, the crack causing microcapsule rupture of a monomer mixture microcapsule of the plurality of monomer mixture microcapsules, the microcapsule rupture resulting in migration of the mixture of materials into the crack,
• wherein the chemiluminescent reaction within the light generating microcapsule generates sufficient light to cause the photoinitiator to initiate a polymerization reaction of the monomers within the crack, the polymerization reaction resulting in formation of a polymeric material that seals the crack.

A process of forming a self-healing polymeric material, the process comprising:

• forming a monomer mixture microcapsule encapsulating a mixture of materials that includes monomers and a photoinitiator;
• forming a light generating microcapsule encapsulating multiple reactants that undergo a chemiluminescent reaction, the chemiluminescent reaction generating a photon having a wavelength within a particular emission range that is consistent with an absorption range of the photoinitiator, wherein the light generating microcapsule is adapted to cause the multiple reactants to undergo the chemiluminescent reaction within the light generating microcapsule in response to application of a compressive force;
• and
• dispersing the monomer mixture microcapsule and the light generating microcapsule in a polymeric matrix material to form a self-healing polymeric material.