Controlling the chemical reaction rate concerning degradation and repair is found to be important to design advanced self-healing ceramics. The recovery and degradation behaviors of strength and stiffness were investigated by exposing aqueous solutions of different pH and calcium ion concentrations to the introduced crack on typical self-healing ceramics dispersed with alumina cement as a self-healing agent. The chemical reaction of cement undergoes the following three stages: dissolution of components such as calcium ions, formation of a gel, and formation of final products. Experimental and thermodynamic assessments revealed that even under conditions where the final products are identical (thermodynamic equilibrium), kinetic effects (excessive dissolution of components or insufficient crystal formation) result in strength degradation rather than repair. It was also suggested that the repair function could be enhanced by controlling the nucleation site of the crystals.
Keywords: corrosion; material design; self-healing ceramics; smart materials.