International audienceThis study considers the embedment of a bioinspired vasculature within a composite structure that is capable of delivering functional agents from an external reservoir to regions of internal damage. Breach of the vascules, by propagating cracks, is a crucial pre-requisite for such a self-healing system to be activated. Two segregated vascule fabrication techniques are demonstrated, and their interactions with propagating Mode I and II cracks determined. The vascule fabrication route adopted played a significant role on the resulting laminate morphology which in-turn dictated the crack-vascule interactions. Embedment of the vascules did not lower the Mode I or II fracture toughness of the host laminate, with vascules orientated transverse to the crack propagation direction leading to significant increases in G and G through crack arrest. Large resin pockets were found to redirect the crack around the vascules under Mode II conditions, therefore, it is recommended to avoid this configuration for self-healing applications

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Pyrolysis of waste tyres not only tackles the environmental issues associated with disposal, but also enables the recovery of valuable products such as oils and carbon fillers for elastomeric materials. This study was instigated to benchmark the in-rubber properties of pyrolytic carbon (often referred to as pyrolysis carbon black, pCB) and to understand the compositional parameters that dictate performance. Colloidal properties suggest the pCB materials to have a reinforcing potential between that of N330 and N550 carbon blacks, whereas physical property data suggest that they are more akin to the N700 series. Fundamentally, this disparity in performance appears to be the result of carbonaceous residues on the pCB surface, which both reduce surface activity and dispersability of the recyclate. Both thermogravimetric and dynamic mechanical analyses confirmed a number of pCB samples to have the same specific surface activity, regardless of the pyrolysis process or feedstock utilised.