Characterization of self-healing fiber-reinforced polymer-matrix composite with distributed damage

The objective of this manuscript is to describe experimental work that quantifies the damage and self-healing behavior of fiber-reinforced, polymer-matrix, laminated composites. The effects of damage and healing on stiffness and strength are described. While previous research looks at healing of macro-cracks, this work studies the healing of micro-cracks. Therefore, this work quantifies the effect of damage and self-healing within the context of continuum damage mechanics. This work also evaluates the effects of incorporating a self-healing system on the overall material properties of a laminate before and after the self-healing system is self-activated. Self-healing of glass fiber-reinforced epoxy laminates is accomplished by a dispersion of micro-capsules containing a healing agent and an encapsulated catalyst. The healing agent, dicyclopentadiene is encapsulated and then dispersed in the epoxy resin during hand lay-up. The catalyst capable of initiating a ROMP reaction with the DCPD is also encapsulated and dispersed in similar fashion. Continuum Damage Mechanics is used purposely to avoid having to investigate the micro-structural features of the complex composite/healing system but rather to assess the composite's performance using macroscopic features, i.e., reduced stiffness, which directly relates to structural performance an it is much easier to quantify experimentally.

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