Self-healing polymeric materials via unsaturated polyester resin chemistry

Abstract

Disclosed herein are self-healing materials, which are smart materials that are capable of repairing themselves without any external intervention when they are damaged. The self-healing materials may be microencapsulated, for example in a one-capsule system or a two-capsule system, and damage to a matrix containing the microcapsules may rupture the microcapsules and cause the healing materials to be released into the site of damage, where it may polymerize and restore the functional capabilities of the matrix. The self-healing materials may be based on unsaturated multi-functional resins capable of oxygen-initiated cross-linking, and may include alkyd resins, such as alkyd resins that include one or more telechelic end groups.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.