**6. Significance of healing functionality**

The objective of self-healing phenomenon is focused to respond upon fracture based on quasi-static performance. In the future, self-healing materials can be used in various applications including nuclear reactors, marine structures, and various cutting tools. Self-healing aircrafts or spacecraft is currently desired in references of micrometeoroids and orbital debris protection, low-temperature repairs for aerostructures, and re-healable fuel tanks. Cost-efficient healable wind power blades and wire insulation materials are also desirable based upon self-healing materials. Durable targets for military personnels and training are also part of self-healing ionomers which protect against ballistic penetrations.

### **7. Current scenario, challenges, and future perspective**

Self-healing systems represent a wide interdisciplinary area and are performed by different techniques. Understanding the basic mechanism and principle of damage healing is also still a challenge for science community. Healing chemistries

**35**

India

provided the original work is properly cited.

Jeetendra Kumar Banshiwal\* and Durgesh Nath Tripathi

\*Address all correspondence to: jeetukumar331@gmail.com

*Self-Healing Polymer Composites for Structural Application*

have greater stabilization, higher reactivity, and fast kinetics, although many challenges still remain. Healing performance under long term in drastic environment is advantageous. Additionally, increased healing efficiency with low-cost techniques and least detrimental effect on base matrix is also challenging. To implement encapsulation technique, distribution of capsules is challenging and has adverse effects on matrix. Similarly, the fabrication of vascular network is not easy to implement. In microelectronics, optoelectronics, and robotics where damages are common as nanostructures, self-healing concept is beneficiary. Long-lasting self-healing battery, self-sealing fuel tank/tires, fad-resistant textiles, and anti-tamper electronics are future significance of self-healing technique. Sensor design with healing concept is used to structural health monitoring of components. The incorporation of selfhealing concept into aerostructures is challenging and required to establish because the aerostructures always suffered mechanical and thermal loading continuously. In the future, catalyst-free and UV- or light-oriented self-healing systems are desirable.

Conclusively, the self-healing techniques explore the possibility of damage detection and subsequent damage management in materials. Some technological restrictions and possible solutions are also explored. Self-healing techniques intimate damages at the early stage and recovered mechanical properties at some extent which reduces the probability of replacement and loss of structures. Currently, we are still waiting for fully self-healing systems that can show both stimuli responsive-

The author would like to say thanks to Dr. Dibeyndu S. Bag and Dr. Ajit Shankar

Singh, DMSRDE, Kanpur, for their adequate suggestion to design the article.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82420*

**8. Conclusive remarks**

ness and healing characteristics.

**Acknowledgements**

**Author details**

© 2019 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,

Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment, Kanpur,

#### *Self-Healing Polymer Composites for Structural Application DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82420*

have greater stabilization, higher reactivity, and fast kinetics, although many challenges still remain. Healing performance under long term in drastic environment is advantageous. Additionally, increased healing efficiency with low-cost techniques and least detrimental effect on base matrix is also challenging. To implement encapsulation technique, distribution of capsules is challenging and has adverse effects on matrix. Similarly, the fabrication of vascular network is not easy to implement. In microelectronics, optoelectronics, and robotics where damages are common as nanostructures, self-healing concept is beneficiary. Long-lasting self-healing battery, self-sealing fuel tank/tires, fad-resistant textiles, and anti-tamper electronics are future significance of self-healing technique. Sensor design with healing concept is used to structural health monitoring of components. The incorporation of selfhealing concept into aerostructures is challenging and required to establish because the aerostructures always suffered mechanical and thermal loading continuously. In the future, catalyst-free and UV- or light-oriented self-healing systems are desirable.
