Self-healing composite material

A composite material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reinforcing fibres comprise carbon fibres, glass fibres, ceramic fibres, metal fibres and metal coated reinforcing fibres, or mixtures thereof.

A composite material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reinforcing fibres are laid in one or more layers and the fibres in each layer are axially aligned.

A composite material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reinforcing fibres are present as continuous fibres or short fibres within the matrix.

A composite material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thermosetting polymer comprises a phenolic resin, a phenol-formaldehyde resin, an amine-formaldehyde resin, a urea-formaldehyde resin, a polyester resin, a urethane resin, an epoxy resin, an epoxy-polyester resin, an acrylic resin, an acrylic-urethane resin, a fluorovinyl resin;

• a cyanate ester resin;
• a polyimide resin or any other related high temperature thermosetting resin.

A composite material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thermosetting polymer has a glass transition temperature Tg and the thermoplastic polymer has a fusion or flow temperature in the range Tg±100° C.

A composite material according to any one of the preceding claims, which comprises from 5 to 50% by weight of the thermoplastic polymer, based upon the total weight of the polymeric matrix.

A composite material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thermoplastic polymer is wholly miscible with the thermosetting resin.

A composite material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thermosetting polymer is an epoxy resin and wherein the thermoplastic polymer is polybisphenol-A-co-epichlorohydrin.

A composite material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thermoplastic polymer does not chemically react with the thermosetting polymer at ambient temperatures.

A composite material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thermoplastic polymer and the thermosetting polymer are selected such that the solubility parameter of the thermoplastic polymer is within 2 MPa½ of that of the thermosetting polymer.

A composite material according to any one of the preceding claims substantially as described in the Examples.

A composite material substantially as hereinbefore defined.

A method for producing a self-healing composite material, which comprise impregnating a layer of reinforcing fibres with a polymeric matrix comprising a thermosetting polymer and a thermoplastic polymer that together form a solid solution.

A method of producing a self-healing composite material substantially as described in the Examples.

A method of producing a self-healing composite material substantially as hereinbefore described.

A self-healing composite material comprising a fibre-reinforced polymeric matrix, wherein the polymeric matrix comprises a thermosetting polymer and a thermoplastic polymer, and wherein detection means are provided to detect the presence of at least one damaged area of the composite material.

A method of detecting the presence of a damaged area in a self-healing composite material comprising a reinforced polymeric matrix, wherein the reinforcement comprises carbon fibres and the polymeric matrix comprises a thermosetting polymer and a thermoplastic polymer, which comprises detecting a change in resistance of the composite material indicating the presence of at least one damaged area.

A method of detecting the presence of a damaged area in a self-healing composite material substantially as described in the Examples.

A method of detecting the presence of a damaged area in a self-healing composite material substantially as hereinbefore described.

A method of repairing a damaged area in a self-healing composite material comprising a fibre-reinforced polymeric matrix, wherein the polymeric matrix comprises a thermosetting polymer and a thermoplastic polymer, which comprises heating the damaged area to the fusion temperature of the thermoplastic polymer.

A method of repairing a composite material substantially as herein before described.

A self-healing polymeric matrix for a composite material which comprises a blend of a thermosetting polymer and a thermoplastic polymer that together form a solid solution.