An Overview of Self‐Healable Polymers and Recent Advances in the Field

• Published in: Macromolecular rapid communications. Vol. 43; no. 17; pp. e2200164 - n/a
• Main Authors: El Choufi, Nadim, Mustapha, Samir, Tehrani B., Ali, Grady, Brian P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.09.2022
• Subjects: applications; Bone healing; characterization tests; classification; coatings; Electrical properties; Environmental impact; Fabrication; Inspection; limitations; mechanical properties; modeling; Polymer matrix composites; Polymers; recent advances; self‐healing polymers; Service life; Wound healing; coatings; modeling; self-healing polymers; characterization tests; classification; mechanical properties; recent advances; applications; limitations
• ISSN: 1022-1336; 1521-3927; 1521-3927
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200164

The search for materials with better performance, longer service life, lower environmental impact, and lower overall cost is at the forefront of polymer science and material engineering. This has led to the development of self‐healing polymers with a range of healing mechanisms including capsular‐based, vascular, and intrinsic self‐healing polymers. The development of self‐healable systems has been inspired by the healing of biological systems such as skin wound healing and broken bone reconstruction. The goal of using self‐healing polymers in various applications is to extend the service life of polymers without the need for replacement or human intervention especially in restricted access areas such as underwater/underground piping where inspection, intervention, and maintenance are very difficult. Through an industrial and scholarly lens, this paper provides: a) an overview of self‐healing polymers; b) classification of different self‐healing polymers and polymer‐based composites; c) mechanical, thermal, and electrical analysis characterization; d) applications in coating, composites, and electronics; e) modeling and simulation; and f) recent development in the past 20 years. This review highlights the importance of healable polymers for an economically and environmentally sustainable future, the most recent advances in the field, and current limitations in fabrication, manufacturing, and performance. There is continuous academic and industrial development for polymers that have a longer service life and lower environmental impact. One focus is self‐healing polymers which achieve a performance that partially or fully recovers the initial performance of the virgin polymer without the need for significant human intervention. This review presents the advancements of self‐healing polymers, their classification, and applications.