1. A comparative approach for self‐healing of carbon nanotube epoxy/polycaprolactone composites: Joule, Infrared, and oven heating.
- Author
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Calderón‐Villajos, Rocío, Vázquez‐López, Antonio, Jiménez‐Suárez, Alberto, Fernández Sánchez‐Romate, Xoan Xosé, and Prolongo, Silvia G.
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COMPARATIVE method , *CARBON nanotubes , *SPECIFIC heat , *EPOXY resins , *POLYCAPROLACTONE - Abstract
Highlights The self‐healing process in PCL (polycaprolactone)/epoxy blends is studied in order to optimize the healing process and understand its underlying mechanism. For this purpose, PCL/epoxy blends are prepared with and without multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) addition. Three different self‐healing heat‐inducement techniques are used (an oven, Joule effect, and infrared (IR) lamp) as a function of healing time (2, 5, 10, and 15 min) and PCL concentration (5, 10, and 15 wt%). The results obtained demonstrate that the addition of MWCNTs to the polymer matrix in PCL/epoxy blends accelerates the self‐healing process, attributed to an improved heat diffusion in MWCNTs/PCL/epoxy blends. The best self‐healing results were obtained with the highest self‐healing time and concentration of PCL, caused by the higher probability of the crack formation over a PCL reservoir. The most efficient techniques to induce the self‐healing process in PCL/epoxy blends with and without MWCNTs are the conventional oven and the Joule Effect, respectively, being faster the latter method, as it induces a homogeneous internal heating of the material. Moreover, Joule effect can be controlled remotely, while IR radiation is a noncontact technique, which can be applied in situ. The three heating methods are evaluated considering these factors alongside their energy efficiency, establishing a method to choose a specific heating source for similar systems. PCL/epoxy blends reinforced with MWCNTs have been manufactured. Variable heating sources have been analyzed. The influence of the heating source on the self‐healing is studied. Joule constitutes the faster heating for MWCNTs/PCL/epoxy system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2025
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