Patent ID: 8481615

Claim:
Process for preparing a self-healing composite material comprising a matrix of epoxy polymer, in which a catalyst of ring opening metathesis reaction and vessels containing at least one monomer able to polymerize due to a ring opening metathesis reaction are dispersed, said process comprising: a preliminary step of dispersing at molecular level by mechanical mixing at temperatures between 50 and 100° C. said catalyst in a mixture containing at least one precursor of said epoxy polymer having two or more epoxy rings per molecule, and then the steps of: dispersing in the mixture said vessels and a curing agent for said precursor, said agent being chosen from the group consisting of tertiary amines; and curing said mixture by at least a first heating stage performed at a temperature between 70 and 90° C. for between 1 and 5 hours, and a second heating stage performed at a temperature between 90 and 170° C. for a time-period between 2 and 3 hours.