| Damage occurs in almost every composite material in the form of microcracks that develop in the epoxy matrix that binds the fibers together. Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign have recently developed a method to reverse the effects of, or heal, damage in the epoxy matrix. Their in-situ self-healing system uses embedded microcapsules and a catalyst that trigger a romp reaction in an effort to rebond the microcracks. Several models have been developed in an effort to predict how a composite laminate damages. One model in particular, the Continuous Damage Mechanics model, CDM that has been developed at West Virginia University uses material properties that are easily obtained from standard ASTM and ISO testing methods. The CDM model has been extended at West Virginia University to incorporate the effects of a self-healing system to develop a Continuous Damage and Healing Mechanics model, CDHM. In this work, a testing procedure to characterize the autonomic healing of polymer matrix composites is outlined, as well as the regenerative effects of the self-healing system. The capability of the CDHM model to predict the material properties of the self-healing system is also addressed. The CDHM model is validated with experimental results for various laminates fabricated out of E-glass/epoxy. |
