Method and chemistry for automatic self-joining of failures in polymers

1. A self-joining polymer composition, comprising:

a polymer;

a plurality of amine pendant groups attached to the polymer, the amine pendant groups being exposed on failure of the polymer; and

a plurality of microcapsules of flowable polymerizable material dispersed in the polymer, the microcapsules of flowable polymerizable material including microcapsules and flowable polymerizable material inside the microcapsules, the microcapsules effective for rupruring with the failure of the polymer and the flowable polymerizable material cross-linking with the reactable pendant groups upon rupture of the microcapsules.

2. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of reactable pendant groups are attached to a backbone of the polymer.

3. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 1 ,

wherein the failure of the polymer comprises a crack having a first face and a second face, whereby the first face and the second face are opposing faces,

wherein a first portion of the plurality of readable pendant groups is on the first face of the crack and a second portion of the plurality of reactable pendant groups is on the second face of the crack and

wherein cross-links are formed between the first portion and the second portion reactable pendant groups creating cross-linking between the opposing faces of the crack.

4. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the microcapsule comprises a shell defining an interior space with the flowable polymerizable material disposed therein.

5. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 4 , wherein the microcapsule shell comprises a material selected from the group consisting of hydrous metal oxide, silica, silicate, carbon, polymer, and combinations thereof.

6. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the flowable polymerizable material is selected from the group consisting of short and long chain dianhydrides and combinations thereof.

7. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of epoxies, thermoset, thermoplastic, elastomeric, and combinations thereof.

8. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 3 , wherein the first portion of reactable pendant groups on the first face are dangling from the first face and the second portion of reactable pendant groups on the second face are dangling from the second face.

9. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 8 , wherein

the dangling from the first face comprises dangling from an attachment to a polymer backbone on the first face and

the dangling from the second face comprises dangling from an attachment to a polymer backbone on the second face.

10. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 9 , wherein the formed cross-links form a mesh-like web based on links, the links comprising the first portion of reactable pendant groups, released flowable polymerizable material and the second portion of reactable pendant groups, whereby the formed mesh-like web is attached to the polymer backbone on the first face and to the polymer backbone on the second face.

11. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 1 ,

wherein the failure of the polymer comprises a crack having a fist face, a second face and a third face, whereby the first face and the second face a opposing faces, the second face and the third face are opposing faces and the first face and the third face are opposing faces,

wherein a first portion of the plurality of reactable pendant groups is on the first face of the crack and a second portion of the plurality of reactable pendant groups is on the second face of the crack and a third portion of the plurality of reactable pendant groups is on the third face of the crack, and

wherein cross-links are formed between the first portion and the second portion of reactable pendant groups, the second portion and third portion of reactable pendant groups, and the first portion and third portion of reactable pendant groups forming a cross-linking among all the opposing faces of the crack.

12. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 11 , wherein the first portion of reactable pendant groups on the first face are dangling from the first face, the second portion of reactable pendant groups on the second face are dangling from the second face and the third portion of reactable pendant groups on the third face are dangling from the third face.

13. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 12 , wherein

the dangling from the first face comprises dangling from an attachment to a polymer backbone on the first face,

the dangling from the second face comprises dangling from an attachment to a polymer backbone on the second face, and

the dangling from the third face comprises dangling, from an attachment to a polymer backbone on the third face.

14. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 13 , wherein the formed cross-links form a mesh-like web based on links,

wherein the links are selected from the group consisting of

the first portion of reactable pendant groups, released flowable polymerizable material and the second portion of the plurality of reactable pendant groups,

the second portion of reactable pendant groups, released flowable polymerizable material and the third portion of the plurality of reactable pendant groups, and

the first portion of reactable pendant groups, released flowable polymerizable material and the third portion of the plurality of reactable pendant groups.

15. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 14 , whereby the formed mesh-like web is attached to the polymer backbone on the fist face, the polymer backbone on the second face and the polymer backbone on the third face.

16. The self-joining polymer composition of claim 1 , wherein the functionality of the plurality of amine pendant groups attached to the polymer is obtained by modification of the polymer prior to formation of the self-joining polymer composition.

17. A self-joining polymer composition, comprising:

means to form a mesh-like web attached to faces of a crack in the self-joining polymer.

18. The composition of claim 17 , wherein the means to form a mesh-like web comprises:

means to provide a flowable polymerizable material;

means to provide a plurality of amine pendant groups attached to polymer backbones on opposing faces of a crack within the self-joining polymer; and

means to link the flowable polymerizable material with amine pendant groups on the opposing faces to form a mesh-like web between polymer backbones on faces of the crack.

19. A self-joining polymer composition, comprising:

means to provide a flowable polymerizable material;

means to provide a plurality of amine pendant groups attached to polymer backbones on opposing faces of a crack within the self-joining polymer; and

means to link the flowable polymerizable material with amine pendant groups on the opposing faces to form a mesh-like web between polymer backbones on faces of the crack.