Multiple crack healing of a Ti2AlC ceramic

A highly attractive self-healing material would be one which combines excellent mechanical properties with a multiple healing capability. Self-healing ceramics have been studied for over 40 years to obtain some performance recovery and to prevent material failure during service, but so far only materials with the capability of single healing event per damage site have been realized. Here we report on a self-healing Ti2AlC ceramic capable of repeatedly repairing damage events. The Ti2AlC ceramic achieves at least seven healing cycles after repeated cracking at a given location. The main healing mechanism at high temperature is the filling of the cracks by the formation well adhering alpha-Al2O3 and the presence of some rutile TiO2. For healed samples, the flexural strength returned or even slightly exceeded the virginal strength. The fracture toughness recovery has been quantified for multiple healing cycles. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.