Mugemana C., Cardona C.I., Ozyigit S., Hao J., Grysan P., Delfrari D., Dieden R., Verge P., Shaplov A.S., Ruch D., Fuentes C.A.
Composites Part A Applied Science and Manufacturing, vol. 203, art. no. 109578, 2026
Infusible thermoplastics based on acrylic resins have gained increasing interest in fibre-reinforced composite manufacturing, primarily due to their low viscosity (100 mPa), enabling efficient fibre impregnation and facilitates processing at low temperatures (<100 °C). Their compatibility with UV and thermal curing system offers further manufacturing flexibility. To integrate self-healing ability, a UV-curable acrylic resin incorporating Zn(II)-acetate complexes as reversible cross-links was developed. Self-healing performance at the fibre–matrix interface was quantitatively evaluated using a novel single-fibre pull-out test methodology employing, real-time optical crack monitoring and paused healing cycles combined with µ-CT tomography for 3D interfacial validation. This approach demonstrated up to 95% recovery of the apparent interfacial shear strength (IFSS). Functionalizing glass fibres with Zn(OAc)<sub>2</sub> significantly improved baseline interfacial adhesion (35% IFSS increase) while maintaining self-healing capability, outperforming conventional epoxy/acrylic sizings. Structural glass fibre-reinforced composites were manufactured using the Vacuum-Assisted Resin Infusion Molding (VARIM) process, and the healing effect of Zn(OAc)<sub>2</sub> complexes was demonstrated by achieving an 85% recovery of the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) after delamination and subsequent thermal healing treatment. This work presents a scalable approach to integrating self-healing functionality into acrylic-based composites for enhanced structural durability.
