Microencapsulation of self-healing agents containing a fluorescent dye

作者：Noh H H; Lee J K^*

来源：Express Polymer Letters, 2013, 7(1): 88-94.

DOI：10.3144/expresspolymlett.2013.8

• coatings
• self-healing
• microencapsulation
• fluorescent dye

Two different self-healing agent candidates, endo-dicyclopentadiene (endo-DCPD) and 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene (ENB), containing a fluorescent dye surrounded by a melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF) shell were microencapsulated by in-situ polymerization and the resulting microcapsules were characterized in this work. The microcapsules showed a narrow size distribution with a spherical shape and rough outer and smooth inner surfaces for both healing agent systems. Shell thicknesses of the microcapsules were similar to 880 +/- 80 nm for endo-DCPD and similar to 620 +/- 60 nm for ENB. The incorporation of a fluorescent dye as tracer into self-healing agents did not disturb the formation of microcapsules. The release of self-healing liquid into the induced crack from ruptured microcapsules in an epoxy coating layer was observed using a fluorescence microscopy. The use of a fluorescent dye is very effective in the observation of a damage site.

• 出版日期2013-1