Self-healing polymers
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorsPaul V. Braun, Soo Hyoun Cho, Scott R. White, Nancy R. Sottos, H. Magnus Andersson
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Abstract
A composite material includes a polymer matrix, a polymerizer, and a plurality of capsules containing a corresponding activator for the polymerizer. The composite material can also include an adhesion promoter, and the polymerizer can be phase separated from the polymer matrix. The composite material can be made by dispersing the polymerizer and capsules into the polymer matrix. These composite materials can exhibit improved environmental stability, and can be used with a wider variety of activators.
Claims28
A composite material, comprising:
- a polymer matrix;
- a polymerizer phase comprising a polymerizer;
- and
- a plurality of capsules comprising a corresponding activator for the polymerizer;
- where the polymerizer phase is phase separated from the polymer matrix,
- the capsules are separate from the polymerizer phase,
- the capsules isolate the corresponding activator from the polymerizer until a crack in the composite material intersects at least a portion of the capsules and at least a portion of the polymerizer phase, and
- the corresponding activator is a catalyst comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of lead, tin, zirconium, antimony, iron, cadmium, calcium, barium, manganese, bismuth and titanium.
A composite material, comprising:
- a polymer matrix;
- an adhesion promoter;
- a polymerizer phase comprising a polymerizer;
- and
- a plurality of capsules comprising a corresponding activator for the polymerizer;
- where the polymerizer phase is phase separated from the polymer matrix,
- the capsules are separate from the polymerizer phase,
- the capsules isolate the corresponding activator from the polymerizer until a crack in the composite material intersects at least a portion of the capsules and at least a portion of the polymerizer phase, and
- the polymerizer comprises a mixture of hydroxyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane (HOPDMS) and polydiethoxysiloxane (PDES).
A composite material, comprising:
- a polymer matrix;
- a polymerizer phase comprising a polymerizer;
- and
- a plurality of capsules comprising a corresponding activator for the polymerizer;
- where the polymerizer phase is phase separated from the polymer matrix,
- the capsules are separate from the polymerizer phase,
- the capsules isolate the corresponding activator from the polymerizer until a crack in the composite material intersects at least a portion of the capsules and at least a portion of the polymerizer phase, and
- the polymer matrix comprises an epoxy vinyl ester polymer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.