Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1570637 | Materials Characterization | 2016 | 11 Pages |
Abstract
Autonomic self-healing materials are materials with built-in (micro-) capsules or vessels, which upon fracturing release healing agents in order to recover the material's physical and mechanical properties. In order to better understand and engineer these materials, a thorough characterization of the material's microstructural behavior is essential and often overlooked. In this context, micro-computed tomography (μCT) can be used to investigate the three dimensional distribution and (de)bonding of (micro-) capsules in their native state in a polymer system with self-healing properties. Furthermore, in-situ μCT experiments in a self-healing polymer and a self-healing concrete system can elucidate the breakage and leakage behavior of (micro-) capsules at the micrometer scale. While challenges related to image resolution and contrast complicate the characterization in specific cases, non-destructive 3D imaging with μCT is shown to contribute to the understanding of the link between the microstructure and the self-healing behavior of these complex materials.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Materials Science (General)
Authors
Jeroen Van Stappen, Tom Bultreys, Francisco A. Gilabert, Xander K.D. Hillewaere, David Garoz Gómez, Kim Van Tittelboom, Jelle Dhaene, Nele De Belie, Wim Van Paepegem, Filip E. Du Prez, Veerle Cnudde,