Abstract

Composite materials used in space applications are susceptible to damage due to space debris, thermal shock, exposure to UV radiations and atomic oxygen. In space, repair of the damage to space structure is very difficult and in some cases impossible. As such if the micro damage can get healed automatically, it may extend life of space structures. In the last few years a lot of research has taken place in the field of self-healing of materials. In previous work many different techniques were developed. The majority of these techniques are in their initial stage. The self-healing process can be activated by radiation, addition of chemicals, change in temperature and some without any external assistance. In past work healing efficiency was determined from the critical fracture load of the samples. This thesis introduces a new monomer for self-healing of materials in space applications. A new approach to determine the healing performance is suggested and different types of environmental conditioning tests were carried out. A finite element model was developed for the calculation of healing efficiency. Finite element results were compared with experimental results