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Development of self-healing films to improve durability of VIPs by in-situ remediation of film defects...

Publication Type
Conference Paper
Book Title
Proceedings of the 14th International Vacuum Insulation Symposium (IVIS 2019)
Publication Date
Page Numbers
27 to 30
Conference Name
14th International Vacuum Insulation Symposium (IVIS 2019)
Conference Location
Kyoto, Japan
Conference Sponsor
VIPA International – Vacuum Insulation Panel Association
Conference Date
-

The integrity of the VIP barrier film or envelope is a critical for maintaining the ultra-low thermal conductivity of VIPs. Here, the concept of a self-healing barrier film is described and demonstrated. The self-healing concept is based on an addition reaction between two chemicals, without the need for any external stimuli. The chemicals are incorporated as coatings in a multi-layered film and are initially kept separate with a partition layer. In case of damage, the chemicals would mix, react and heal the damage. Tests of small-scale film samples in a custom vacuum pump apparatus by puncturing the samples demonstrated the proof-of-concept. The tests indicated that the chemicals reacted and healed the puncture immediately to maintain the system vacuum. The intact and punctured self-healing films showed near-identical behaviour, while a control sample allowed the pressure to rise to atmospheric levels on puncturing.

Development of films with coated chemicals using tape casting and slot die coating methods is also described. These are low-cost and mature technologies, which are commonly used by various industries. The proposed chemicals are low-cost, commercially available materials. Thus, the self-healing technology is expected to be inexpensive and scalable.