Insight on Mendable Resin Made by Combining Diels-Alder Epoxy Adducts with DGEBA

Formation micro-cracks is a critical problem in polymers and polymer composites during their service structural applications. In this context, materials endowed with self-healing features would lead to the next polymers generation. In the present paper, an epoxy system integrating Diels-Alder epoxy adducts is investigated by thermal and spectroscopic analysis. The direct and retro D-A reaction have been studied by FTIR and specific absorption bands have been identified. Finally, mechanical tests have been performed on the system. The polymer is able to heal fracture and micro-cracks recovering its stiffness after a thermal treatment.