From Recovery to Enhancement: Pressure-Gradient-Driven Crack Repair of Particulate-Reinforced Polymer Composites.
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| Title: | From Recovery to Enhancement: Pressure-Gradient-Driven Crack Repair of Particulate-Reinforced Polymer Composites. |
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| Authors: | Wang, Shengnan1 (AUTHOR), Zhu, Xinqiao2 (AUTHOR), Tang, Wei1,3 (AUTHOR), Wen, Maoping1 (AUTHOR), Lan, Lingang1,2 (AUTHOR), Tian, Xin1,3 (AUTHOR), Yuan, Hongwei1,3 (AUTHOR) yuanhw@caep.cn |
| Source: | Polymers (20734360). Jun2026, Vol. 18 Issue 12, p1485. 16p. |
| Subjects: | Interfaces (Physical sciences), Composite particles (Composite materials), Fractography, Digital image correlation, Computer simulation, Fracture mechanics |
| Abstract: | Particulate-reinforced polymer composites (PRPCs) are susceptible to cracking under tensile loading, severely limiting their service life. Here, we propose a pressure-gradient-driven infiltration method that rapidly repairs narrow (<10 μm) cracks in a highly filled PRPC (95 wt.% BaSO4/5 wt.% fluororubber). Microstructural evidence confirms that the adhesive completely fills the tortuous crack and forms a continuous adhesive–matrix interface capable of supporting load transfer. Semi-circular bend (SCB) testing demonstrates a substantially higher peak load and increased apparent structural stiffness after repair under the present semi-circular bend configuration, indicating apparent mechanical enhancement beyond simple load-bearing recovery. Digital image correlation (DIC) and fracture morphology show that repair suppresses notch-tip strain localization, reduces the strain concentration factor, shifts the failure-controlling zone away from the original notch tip, and deflects the crack propagation path. Phase-field simulations further show that the post-repair load-bearing capacity is governed by the adhesive–matrix interfacial strength; once this strength approaches or exceeds the tensile strength of the intact PRPC (~8.3 MPa), the repaired crack path is stabilized, enabling peak-load enhancement while suppressing damage localization along the original crack path and shifting failure to adjacent weaker regions. Overall, this work establishes a promising crack repair approach for highly filled PRPCs, while the underlying interface-controlled mechanism provides guidance for adhesive selection and repair design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Engineering Source |
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| Abstract: | Particulate-reinforced polymer composites (PRPCs) are susceptible to cracking under tensile loading, severely limiting their service life. Here, we propose a pressure-gradient-driven infiltration method that rapidly repairs narrow (<10 μm) cracks in a highly filled PRPC (95 wt.% BaSO4/5 wt.% fluororubber). Microstructural evidence confirms that the adhesive completely fills the tortuous crack and forms a continuous adhesive–matrix interface capable of supporting load transfer. Semi-circular bend (SCB) testing demonstrates a substantially higher peak load and increased apparent structural stiffness after repair under the present semi-circular bend configuration, indicating apparent mechanical enhancement beyond simple load-bearing recovery. Digital image correlation (DIC) and fracture morphology show that repair suppresses notch-tip strain localization, reduces the strain concentration factor, shifts the failure-controlling zone away from the original notch tip, and deflects the crack propagation path. Phase-field simulations further show that the post-repair load-bearing capacity is governed by the adhesive–matrix interfacial strength; once this strength approaches or exceeds the tensile strength of the intact PRPC (~8.3 MPa), the repaired crack path is stabilized, enabling peak-load enhancement while suppressing damage localization along the original crack path and shifting failure to adjacent weaker regions. Overall, this work establishes a promising crack repair approach for highly filled PRPCs, while the underlying interface-controlled mechanism provides guidance for adhesive selection and repair design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 20734360 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/polym18121485 |
