Bio-Inspired Multiple Cycle Healing and Damage Sensing in Elastomer–Magnet Nanocomposites

Ritwik Panigrahi, Matt Zarek, Vinay Sharma, Daniel Cohn, Raju V. Ramanujan*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Damage-sensing and healing are biological functions which are urgently required in structural health monitoring and remediation of engineering structures. The development of a bio-inspired multiple cycle damage sensing and triggered healing magnet–polymer nanocomposite (Magpol) is reported. Magpol is comprised of an acrylonitrile butadiene co-polymer (NBR) matrix and a magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) filler. Magpol nanocomposites in a range of MNP filler concentrations are studied. NBR is selected as the matrix due to its extensive use in industrial coatings, for example, in the automotive industry. Mn-Zn ferrite MNP is chosen due to its appropriate Curie temperature and good specific absorption rate. Exposure of damaged Magpol to a remote external alternating magnetic field results in MNP heating. The MNP heats the surrounding NBR matrix, resulting in triggered healing. Fractured Magpol samples are successfully healed over several cycles. Incorporation of rhodamine b mechano-chromophore in Magpol results in multicycle damage sensing by photo-luminescent absorption. Thus, the developed Magpol is attractive for structural health monitoring and remediation application.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1900168
JournalMacromolecular Chemistry and Physics
Volume220
Issue number17
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Sep 2019

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Keywords

  • alternating magnetic fields
  • bioinspired
  • damage sensing
  • magnet–polymer composites
  • multi-cycle healing

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