Experimental investigation of the healing properties of the microvascular channels-based self-healing glass fibers/epoxy composites containing the three-part healant

In this study, the self-healing ability of the E-glass fibers/epoxy composites based on microvascular channels under flexural and tensile loading was investigated by a three-part healant. The fabrication of the microvascular channels was conducted through embedding the solid preforms and removing them. The epoxy resin and premix anhydride hardener-CuBr2 (2-Methylimidazole) as the healing agents were used to study the self-healing ability of the composites at different healing times (4, 7 and 11 days) and various volume fractions for recovering the tensile (2.5, 4 and 8 vol%) and flexural (2, 3.2 and 3.7 vol%) strength. The optimum recovered tensile strength belonged to the composite containing the 4 vol% healant. The obtained healing efficiencies of this composite after 4, 7 and 11 days were 57, 68 and 69%, respectively. In the flexural test, the composite with the 3.2 vol% healant had the maximum healing efficiencies of 3, 46 and 44%, as compared with other composites. By using the field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersed spectroscopy analysis, the healing ability of the composite was confirmed by this healing system.