Polymer composites are widely used for various industrial applications due to their excellent mechanical properties. However, damage repair and replacement of polymer composites is costly and time-consuming. Therefore, the development of damage resistant and durable polymer composites is necessary. This work demonstrates the microcapsule-based self-healing of compression-molded thermoplastic high impact polystyrene (HIPS) composites using a non-toxic and environmentally-friendly solvent, ethyl phenylacetate (EPA). EPA is incorporated within double-walled polyurethane-poly(urea-formaldehyde) (PU/UF) microcapsules which are then integrated within HIPS specimens. These self-healing polymer composites have the ability to recover material toughness in response to a damage event. Flexure and fracture tests with and without microcapsules are used to determine the impact of microcapsules on the virgin HIPS physical properties and the self-healing efficiency of the composites after a fracture. Overall, this work demonstrates the inclusion of self-healing properties in a commercially important polymer material with a non-toxic and environmentally-friendly solvent and motivates further development of thermoplastic self-healing composites for industrial applications.

Recent advances in microcapsule-based self-healing in high impact polystyrene (HIPS) composites

ACS Fall 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.