Self-healing composites: A state-of-the-art review

Failure happens in composites after prolonged degradation process due to micro cracks. Thereafter repairing is not possible at remote locations in the way to enhance reliability and endurance of composites. Self-healing composites are fabricated to heal cracks and-damages if there will be any to restrict failure and enhance the longevity of structures. Therefore, maintenance task is quite simplified. This review aims to provide summarized information on the recent developments in the field of self-healing composites. Initially, fabrication and characterization techniques have been reviewed as much as possible for self-healing carbon fiber laminates, microcapsules containing rejuvenator along with graphene/hexamethoxymethylmelamine (HMMM) hybrid shells and supramolecular elastomer. This paper also outlines numerical methods in its middle section to explore functionality recoveries in self-healing composites and to study improvement in mechanical properties of these smart composites. Thereafter, applications of shape memory alloy and shape memory polymer in advanced CNTs reinforced self-healing composites are also discussed. Composite material with carbon nanotube sheets (CNS) is discussed as sustainable self-healing material as it can maintain its temperature-similar to living species. Future application will be based on these smart self-healing composites and thus it becomes important to us to compile this review article.