| Self-healing airplanes are on the horizon |
Scientists have developed technology where airplanes can heal their own skins and engine parts can protect themselves from hazardous materials. Enter the low-maintenance airplane.
University of Illinois researchers are working on a process where the damage itself triggers the repair mechanism in epoxy-based materials. Imagine a composite fuselage that always looks pristine.
When a crack forms in the epoxy material using this approach, microcapsules containing chlorobenzene shear. The solvent disperses into the matrix, where it finds pockets of unreacted epoxy monomers. The solvent then carries the latent epoxy monomers into the crack, where polymerization takes place. This restores structural integrity.
In fracture tests, self-healing composites recovered their original strength by 82 percent. The researches had experimented with a previous process that utilized a catalyst embedded in the epoxy matrix, but it proved too expensive for commercial applications.
"Our new self-healing system is simple, very economical, and potentially robust," said professor Jeffrey Moore. "From an economics and simplicity standpoint, self-healing materials could become part of everyday life."
Read more @ AOPA website
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