Self-Healing Sandwich Composites

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The major aim of the proposed research is the development of a self-healing structural system that can self-repair after extreme events, such as multiple dynamic impacts, and also self-assess the effectiveness of the repair. This self-healing capability will be accomplished through a room temperature cure epoxy resin healing system delivered through embedded glass fibers. The delivery system will be integrated with an optical fiber sensor network that self-repairs through the phenomenon of self-writing in photopolymerizable resins. A multi-physics predictive computational model of the entire process that accounts for the interrelated processes of photopolymerization, lightwave propagation in a heterogeneous structure, opto-mechanical interactions and sandwich composite damage mechanics will also be derived. The model will be applied to lifetime predictions of the self-healed structural system.The ability of a structural system to survive catastrophic events such as earthquakes, blast loads, or multiple impacts through self-repair of critical components would significantly improve the safety of critical airframes and civil infrastructure systems. Furthermore, the capability of the repaired structure to assess its structural condition would be invaluable to evaluate the necessity of further repairs, and would reduce the loss of life for rescue workers or future users of the structural system. Undergraduate students will be recruited to work with the research group through the NSF REU program and the PIs will participate in programs for academically gifted high school students from underrepresented groups across the state of North Carolina.