Microcapsule Self-healing Composite Materials, Fracture Mechanics, Experimental Study

The experimental research of fracture mechanics about self-healing composites that contain microcapsules is discussed in this paper which is composed of the following four parts: the fracture mechanics design of self-healing composites, the fracture toughness tests of the matrix and the shells of microcapsules, the fracture characteristics analysis of the sandwich simulating samples and the penetrability validating tests of sample that contains simulating capsule.The fracture mechanics design of this new type of self-healing system is mainly about that when there is a micro crack inside the composites under the effect of outside environment and the front part of the crack meets the microcapsules that contain adhesive agent, the shells of the microcapsules must break and let the inside adhesive agent pour out . Then the composites achieve their self-healing function. The laboratory tests of the fracture toughness is mainly about that establishing the whole system, utilizing the molding technology of composites to make samples that use epoxy and unsaturated resin and obtaining the fracture toughness numerical value of each combination sample. At the same time the subdued intensity and elastic module of the samples are also obtained. The propagation laws of the micro crack inside the samples are obtained through the fracture characteristics analysis of the sandwich simulating samples. At the end of the essay the penetrability validating tests of sample that contains simulating capsule are performed. And the tests verify the propagation laws of the micro crack inside the samples.