SBIR-STTR Award

Areas of research relating to self-healing composites structures have been undertaken by well-known and respected institutions under the auspices of the Department of Defense. Patent literature and public technical communiqu describe their novel engineering approaches using microencapsulated systems that release polymeric healing agents through suitable mechanisms. While these approaches have merit, the choices of polymer materials used in this design are limited. Our unique expertise has allowed us to correctly identify reaction kinetics and manufacturing processes that presently restrict the use of eminently more suitable polymer systems for this application. We propose revolutionary treatments of encapsulant shells and core healing agents. A team of polymer chemists and polymer engineers, coupled with commercial micro-encapsulation experts, will conduct novel monomer, co-monomer and prepolymer syntheses, and introduce polymer engineering processes that will enable the long-awaited employment of compounds which, to date, have not been successfully encapsulated. Our insight into aspects of physical polymer chemistry, chemical synthesis, and polymer engineering principals will allowed us to implement and develop our novel concept to circumvent long-standing challenges. We will prove feasibility and practicality of our approach, and use those results to introduce a new process and new materials to the microencapsulation and composite industries.

Benefit:
The introduction of long-anticipated materials to the microencapsulation and composite industries will have immediate performance and cost benefits to DoD, automotive, aerospace, marine and general industrial markets. The ability to arrest micro and macro cracks in composite structures will greatly extend the service life of these specialty articles. In addition, an added level of safety will be introduced in structures that cannot compromise performance. A substantial cost benefit will be apportioned through extend service life and reduced maintenance cycles of composite structures utilizing this novel technology.

Keywords:
Micro-encapsulation, Micro-encapsulation, Damage repair, Self-Healing, polymer synthesis, Polymer Engineering, filament wound, Composite, Impact

Areas of research relating to self-healing composites structures have been undertaken by well-known and respected research institutions under the auspices of the Department of Defense. Patent literature and public technical communiqu describe their novel engineering approaches using polymeric healing agents through suitable mechanisms. While these approaches have merit, the choices of materials used in their design are limited. Our unique expertise has allowed us to correctly identify materials, reaction kinetics and manufacturing processes that have previously restricted the use of eminently more suitable systems for this application. Our team of polymer chemists, polymer engineers, and composite engineers, coupled with commercial experts, will build upon our Phase I feasibility discoveries regarding synthesis and engineering processes that will now enable the long-awaited employment of compounds that to date have not been successfully utilized. Our insight into aspects of physical chemistry, chemical synthesis, and engineering principals have allowed us to correctly identify and develop a novel approach to circumvent these challenges. We will build upon the feasibility demonstrated in Phase I and use those results to introduce our new technology, process and materials to composite industries.

Benefit:
The introduction of long-anticipated materials to composite industries will have immediate performance and cost benefits to DoD, automotive, aerospace, marine and general industrial markets. Arrest of micro and macro cracks in composite structures will greatly extend the service life of these specialty articles. In addition, an added level of safety will be introduced to structures that cannot afford compromised performance. A substantial cost benefit will be received through extend service life and reduced maintenance cycles of composite structures utilizing this novel technology

Keywords:
Crack, single-component, Damage repair, Self-Healing, Composite, Impact, Non-Catalytic, filament winding