A Self‐Healing Poly(Dimethyl Siloxane) Elastomer
Abstract
Self‐healing functionality is imparted to a poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) elastomer. This new material is produced by the incorporation of a microencapsulated PDMS resin and a microencapsulated crosslinker into the PDMS matrix. A protocol based on the recovery of tear strength is introduced to assess the healing efficiency for these compliant polymers. While most PDMS elastomers possess some ability to re‐mend through surface cohesion, the mechanism is generally insufficient to produce significant recovery of initial material strength under ambient conditions. Self‐healing PDMS specimens, however, routinely recover between 70–100 % of the original tear strength. Moreover, the addition of microcapsules increases the tear strength of the PDMS. The effect of microcapsule concentration on healing efficiency is also investigated.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Aug 17, 2007
- Source ID
- 10.1002/adfm.200700086
Entities
People
- M. W. Keller
- N. R. Sottos
- S. R. White
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration