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Imagine if Bridges were made with cement that could repair itself in an Earthquake. And ships were coated in a protective Shell that could patch itself if damaged by Debris. We're closer than you think. Here are two kinds of self-healing materials that could Revolutionize the way we build cities and vehicles.
Self-healing material is any kind of substance that has the ability to repair itself. Often modeled on biological systems, they promise a future where our Homes repaint themselves, and artificial limbs heal like real ones. Chemist Martin Hager and colleagues offer a good introduction to state-of-the-art materials that heal in a recent article, where they outline a few ways that materials heal themselves. Some polymers, for example, already have the ability to KNIT back together. This is called "Intrinsic" healing." But most self-healing is caused by researchers adding to existing materials: They may put bacteria into concrete…
Imagine if Bridges were made with cement that could repair itself in an Earthquake. And ships were coated in a protective Shell that could patch itself if damaged by Debris. We're closer than you think. Here are two kinds of self-healing materials that could Revolutionize the way we build cities and vehicles.
Self-healing material is any kind of substance that has the ability to repair itself. Often modeled on biological systems, they promise a future where our Homes repaint themselves, and artificial limbs heal like real ones. Chemist Martin Hager and colleagues offer a good introduction to state-of-the-art materials that heal in a recent article, where they outline a few ways that materials heal themselves. Some polymers, for example, already have the ability to KNIT back together. This is called "Intrinsic" healing." But most self-healing is caused by researchers adding to existing materials: They may put bacteria into concrete…
