Self-healing polymeric composite material design, failure analysis and future outlook: A review

Abstract

The formation of micro-cracks and crack propagation is still an acute problem in polymer and polymer composites. These micro-cracks usually occur while the materials are manufactured or serviced. The development and coalescence of these cracks reduces the lifespan and brings about a catastrophic failure of the materials. Novel scientific research on polymeric self-healing is emphasised in a number of publications, which consist of contributions from many of the prominent researchers in this area. Progress in this field can eventually enable scientist to construct new flexible materials that both monitor the material’s integrity and repair the deformed material prior to the occurrence of any fatal failures. This report describes recent trends that have been used in material science and computational methods to mitigate the development of micro-cracks and crack propagation in polymer composites