Manufacturing challenges in self-healing technology for polymer composites — a review

Self-healing polymer materials have the functional characteristics of curing when a crack penetrates the material. Damage response, healing ability and healing performance are the most important healing characteristics of a self-healing material. Self-healing in a material system is employed through different methodologies, such as capsulation, vascular filling and intrinsic healing systems. The most challenging factor in fabrication of self-healing material is the ‘carrier filling’ in both the vascular and capsule type healing methods. The self-healing is either autonomic or external, depending on the actuation of the healing. This paper reviews the healing agent carrier preparation for vascular self-healing systems and compares the vascular healing system with intrinsic self-healing. The review revealed that, in most cases, preparation of healing agents is challenging greater than understanding the healing mechanism. The behaviour of self-healing material under fatigue, impact, and ballistic characterisation is also reviewed towards suggesting the self healing materials for aerospace applications.