Multifunctional Self-Healing and Self-Reporting Polymer Composite with Integrated Conductive Microwire Networks

Electrically reported self-healing polymers are designed by mimicking skins of animal, and made by embedding an ordered network of glass microtubes inside polymer matrices. The microtubes contain metallic microwires, and mixtures of healing agent and conductive carbon powders. Cracks on the surface due to external forces or inside the polymer due to dislocation motions break glass microtubes, release healing agent with carbon powders. The percolations of electrons through released carbon powders to coordinately align conductive microwires report the locations of damages and healing events.