TY  - Journal Article
AU  - Rodriguez, Raquel
AU  - Bekas, Dimitrios G.
AU  - Flórez, Sonia
AU  - Kosarli, Maria
AU  - Paipetis, Alkiviadis S.
TI  - Development of self-contained microcapsules for optimised catalyst position in self-healing materials
PY  - 2020
PB  - Elsevier Ltd
AB  - Self-contained microcapsules for use in self-healing epoxy resin are successfully synthesized by suspension polymerization process. The microencapsulation of an epoxy resin using Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) as a shell material and the location of scandium triflate (Sc(OTf)3) as the catalyst into microcapsules shell during the microencapsulation processes is presented (PMMA/Sc(OTf)3-walled microcapsules). Spherical microcapsules of 80 μm in diameter with a liquid core content of 30 wt% (determined by HPLC) are produced. Catalyst location on microcapsules are assessed qualitatively by SEM-EADS and quantitatively by TGA showing high yields (⁓70 wt%). The evaluation of the healing efficiency was assessed in terms of fracture toughness recovery. PMMA/Sc(OTf)3-walled microcapsules showed an increased healing efficiency than that of conventional PMMA-walled capsule. The healing efficiency of the PMMA-walled capsules was 46.7 and 55.1% when the system healed at 80 and 120 °C, respectively. However, in the case of PMMA/Sc(OTf)3-walled microcapsules healing efficiency increased to 57.5 and 79.1% for the same healing temperatures.
SN  - 0032-3861
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/11556/859
DX  - 10.1016/j.polymer.2019.122084
ER  -