Paper Details

Abstract

The present research suggests a UV-healing, hermetic-sealing coating that incorporates a microencapsulated siloxane curing agent to solve the problem of photodegradation-induced microcracks in grain storage systems. The film employs a UV-stabilized exterior coating, a microcapsule-conversion innermost layer, which is intended to perform autonomous fixing, and an inner gas-sealing coating, which would ensure extended protection against moisture, oxygen, and pests. Mechanical stress leads to cracks, microcapsules tear open, and a siloxane-based healing agent is released, which polymerizes when exposed to UV light to restore barrier properties. With a water-vapour transmission rate, the given technique has a healing efficiency of over 85 % in cracks down to 100 52.0 mm. Besides this, the film design exploits scalable manufacturing technologies, including interfacial polymerization that transforms microcapsules, as well as 3D-printed nozzle arrays, into a dispersed medium in the extrusion process. The innovation has uniquely contributed to filling the gap between the passive barrier technology and manual maintenance to increase the useful storage of hermetic systems. Through the experimental results, the repaired film is found to have a vapour transmission of less than 5 g/m2/day, and it is of high quality when it comes to storing grains. It further the field of self-healing materials in that it represents a viable and practical repair mechanism that can be activated by UV light, and is specific to the real-world environment.

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