Self-healing CFRP for aerospace applications

The planar nature of a FRP structure results in relatively poor performance under impact loading. Furthermore, significant degradation in material performance can be experienced with minimal visual indication of damage, a scenario termed Barely Visible Impact Damage (BVID). Current damage tolerant design philosophies incorporate large margins to account for reduction in performance due to impact events, resulting in overweight and inefficient structures. An alternative approach to mitigate impact damage sensitivity can be achieved by imparting an ability to undergo self-healing. Self-healing composites would allow lighter, more efficient structures and would also offer a potentially substantive reduction in maintenance and inspection schedules and their associated costs. This paper considers the development of autonomic self-healing within CFRP, and demonstrates the strength recovery possible when a resin filled hollow fibre is distributed at specific interfaces within a laminate, minimizing the reduction in mechanical properties whilst maximizing the efficiency of the healing event.