Self-repairing, reinforced matrix materials

• US 5,561,173 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 10/01/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carolyn M. Dry
• Original Assignee: Carolyn M. Dry
• Inventors: Dry, Carolyn M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Szekely, Peter A.
• Application Number:
  US08/469,095
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 428/320.2, 428/321.1, 428/321.5, 523/218, 523/219
• US Class Current: 523/218
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/48 with macromolecular fillers
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 17/00 Details of, or accessories for, apparatus for shaping the material; Auxiliary measures taken in connection with such shaping moulds B28B7/00; after-treatment B28B11/00; feeding or discharging B28B13/00; arrangements for embedding elements in the material B28B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 73/163 Sealing compositions or agents, e.g. combined with propellant agents
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 73/22 the article containing elements including a sealing composition, e.g. powder being liberated when the article is damaged
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/0048 Fibrous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/0056 Hollow or porous fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/006 released by a chemical reaction, e.g. polymer condensation
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/0003 containing continuous channels, e.g. of the "dead-end" type or obtained by pushing bars in the green ceramic product B28B takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0007 Electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0028 Aspects relating to the mixing step of the mortar preparation
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0071 making use of a rise in pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0092 Temporary binders, mortars or concrete, i.e. materials intended to be destroyed or removed after hardening, e.g. by acid dissolution
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/024 Steam hardening, e.g. in an autoclave
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0263 Hardening promoted by a rise in temperature C04B40/024 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/06 Inhibiting the setting, e.g. mortars of the deferred action type containing water in breakable containers ; Inhibiting the action of active ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0633 Chemical separation of ingredients, e.g. slowly soluble activator
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0675 Mortars activated by rain, percolating or sucked-up water; Self-healing mortars or concrete
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/241 Preventing premature crosslinking by physical separation of components, e.g. encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 7/00 Use of ingredients characterised by shape
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 7/02 Fibres or whiskers
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 7/22 : Expanded, porous or hollow particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 588/901 : Compositions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249994 : Composite having a component wherein a constituent is liquid or is contained within preformed walls [e.g., impregnant-filled, previously void containing component, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249995 : Constituent is in liquid form
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249997 : Encapsulated liquid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2913 : Rod, strand, filament or fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2933 : Coated or with bond, impregnation or core

Abstract

Self-repairing, fiber reinforced matrix materials include a matrix material including inorganic as well as organic matrices. Disposed within the matrix are hollow fibers having a selectively releasable modifying agent contained therein. The hollow fibers may be inorganic or organic and of any desired length, wall thickness or cross-sectional configuration. The modifying agent is selected from materials capable of beneficially modifying the matrix fiber composite after curing. The modifying agents are selectively released into the surrounding matrix in use in response to a predetermined stimulus be it internal or externally applied. The hollow fibers may be closed off or even coated to provide a way to keep the modifying agent in the fibers until the appropriate time for selective release occurs. Self-repair, smart fiber matrix composite materials capable of repairing microcracks, releasing corrosion inhibitors or permeability modifiers are described as preferred embodiments in concrete and polymer based shaped articles.

Claims

1. A shaped article comprising:

a shaped article including a polymer matrix material having at least one hollow fiber disposed therein, said hollow fiber having a releasable modifying agent contained therein, means for maintaining the modifying agent within the fiber until released and means for permitting release of the modifying agent from the fiber into the matrix material in response to at least one external stimulus, said modifying agent being effective to cause a structural change in the shaped article after the external stimulus has occurred.

2. A shaped article as defined in claim 1, wherein said polymer matrix material is organic.

3. A shaped article as defined in claim 1, wherein said polymer matrix material is thermoplastic.

4. A shaped article as defined in claim 1, wherein said polymer matrix material is thermosettable.

5. A shaped article as defined in claim 1, wherein said polymer matrix material is elastomeric.

6. A shaped article as defined in claim 1, wherein said hollow fiber is organic.

7. A shaped article as defined in claim 1, wherein said hollow fiber is inorganic.

8. A shaped article as defined in claim 1, wherein said hollow fiber is piezoelectric.

9. A shaped article as defined in claim 1, wherein said hollow fiber is an optical fiber.

10. A shaped article as defined in claim 1, wherein said shaped article further comprises at least one optical fiber disposed in said matrix material.

11. A shaped article as defined in claim 1, wherein said shaped article further comprises at least one unfilled hollow fiber having a first portion disposed in said matrix and a second portion extending outside the matrix.

12. A shaped article as defined in claim 1, wherein said modifying agent comprises a repair chemical for repairing microcracks in the matrix.

13. A shaped article as defined in claim 1, wherein said modifying agent is selected from the group consisting of solvents for the matrix, curable compositions and adhesives.

14. A shaped article as defined in claim 1, comprising a plurality of hollow fibers arranged in a regular array in said matrix.

17. A shaped article as defined in claim 1, wherein the modifying agent is effective upon release to repair microcracks in the matrix and re-bond damaged interfaces between the fibers and the matrix caused by the external stimulus.

15. A method for making a self-repairing shaped article comprising the steps of:

providing a shapable polymer matrix material;

dispersing at least one hollow fiber having a releasable modifying agent contained therein to provide a fiber-containing shapable polymer matrix; and

shaping the fiber-containing shapable polymer matrix to form a shaped article in which modifying agent may be released from the fiber in response to an external stimulus, said modifying agent being a matrix repair chemical effective to repair damage to the matrix caused by the external stimulus.

16. A method for making an internally repairable shaped article comprising the steps of:

providing a shapable polymer matrix material;

disposing at least one elongate hollow fiber therein so that a first portion of the hollow fiber is disposed in said matrix and a second portion of the fiber extends outside the matrix to define a port for introducing a modifying agent into an interior portion of the hollow fiber to provide a fiber-containing shapable polymer matrix; and

thereafter, shaping the fiber-containing shapable polymer matrix to form a shaped article in which modifying agent may be introduced into the interior portion of the fiber after curing which may be released from the fiber into the matrix in response to an external stimulus, said modifying agent being a matrix repair chemical effective to repair damage to the matrix caused by the external stimulus.