In this chapter, the main experimental results obtained to date on the selfhealing composite materials are reviewed. The review starts with the nanostructuration of the ruthenium Grubbs' catalyst (RGC) by means of the laser ablation process, followed by the encapsulation of the 5-ethylidene-2norbornene (ENB) liquid monomer into small capsules and the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) microvascular nanocomposite beams by microfluidic infiltration. Special attention is given to the use of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) material as reinforcement of the ENB healing agent from the perspective of obtaining a self-healing composite material with improved mechanical properties and, at the same time, having a fast ring-opening metathesis polymerisation (ROMP) reaction with high mechanical properties.

Chapter Contents:

• 6.1 Ruthenium Grubbs' catalyst
• 6.1 Ruthenium Grubbs' catalyst
• 6.1.1 Pulsed laser deposition technique
• 6.1.1 Pulsed laser deposition technique
• 6.1.2 Experimental preparation of a ruthenium Grubbs' catalyst-pulsed laser deposition target
• 6.1.2 Experimental preparation of a ruthenium Grubbs' catalyst-pulsed laser deposition target
• 6.1.3 Experimental results
• 6.1.3 Experimental results
• 6.2 Healing capability of self-healing composites with embedded hollow fibres
• 6.2 Healing capability of self-healing composites with embedded hollow fibres
• 6.2.1 Detail of the capillary filling with healing agent
• 6.2.1 Detail of the capillary filling with healing agent
• 6.2.2 Hollow fibres
• 6.2.2 Hollow fibres
• 6.2.3 Capillary filling with ENB healing agent material
• 6.2.3 Capillary filling with ENB healing agent material
• 6.2.4 Healing with hollow fibres
• 6.2.4 Healing with hollow fibres
• 6.3 Encapsulation of the ENB healing agent inside polymelamine-urea-formaldehyde shell
• 6.3 Encapsulation of the ENB healing agent inside polymelamine-urea-formaldehyde shell
• 6.3.1 Stability of ENB in poly-urea-formaldehyde shells
• 6.3.1 Stability of ENB in poly-urea-formaldehyde shells
• 6.3.2 Preparation of ENB microcapsules with polymelamine-urea-formaldehyde shells
• 6.3.2 Preparation of ENB microcapsules with polymelamine-urea-formaldehyde shells
• 6.3.3 Comparison of the open-air stability of the polyureaformaldehyde and polymelamine-urea-formaldehyde shells encapsulating ENB healing agent
• 6.3.3 Comparison of the open-air stability of the polyureaformaldehyde and polymelamine-urea-formaldehyde shells encapsulating ENB healing agent
• 6.4 Integration of the ENB monomer with single-walled carbon nanotubes into a microvascular network configuration
• 6.4 Integration of the ENB monomer with single-walled carbon nanotubes into a microvascular network configuration
• 6.4.1 Experimental details
• 6.4.1 Experimental details
• 6.4.2 Results and discussion
• 6.4.2 Results and discussion
• 6.4.3 Elaboration of the three-dimensional microvascular network and self-healing testing
• 6.4.3 Elaboration of the three-dimensional microvascular network and self-healing testing
• References
• References

Inspec keywords: nanocomposites; organic compounds; single-wall carbon nanotubes; catalysis; catalysts; reviews; polymerisation; Young's modulus; pulsed laser deposition; hardness; encapsulation; microfluidics; nanofabrication

Other keywords: laser ablation process; hardness; ring-opening metathesis polymerisation; mechanical properties; three-dimensional microvascular nanocomposite beams; ruthenium Grubbs' catalyst; C; single-wall carbon nanotubes material; self-healing composite material; 5-ethylidene-2norbornene liquid monomer; RGC; Young's modulus; ENB healing agent; encapsulation; nanostructuration; microfluidic infiltration

Subjects: Structure of solid clusters, nanoparticles, nanotubes and nanostructured materials; Structure of graphene and graphene-related materials; Preparation of graphene and graphene-related materials, intercalation compounds, and diamond; Heterogeneous catalysis at surfaces and other surface reactions; Nanofabrication using thin film deposition methods; Polymer reactions and polymerization; Laser materials processing; Pulsed laser deposition; Fatigue, brittleness, fracture, and cracks; Reviews and tutorial papers; resource letters; Elasticity and anelasticity; Fatigue, embrittlement, and fracture; Elasticity, elastic constants