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from the things-similar-to-things-vampires-drink dept.
A new plastic that "heals itself" has been designed, meaning your cracked phone screen or broken tennis racquet could one day mend its own wounds. The polymer automatically patches holes 3 cm wide, 100 times bigger than before. Inspired by the human blood system, it contains a network of capillaries that deliver healing chemicals to damaged areas. The new material, created by engineers at the University of Illinois, is described in Science journal. For decades scientists have dreamed of structures that heal like a plant or an animal heals a wound. Cracks in water pipes and car bonnets would seal up. Satellites could repair their own damage. Broken electronic chips in laptops and mobile phones would spontaneously sort out their own problems.
Link to the abstract, the full journal requires a login.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 10 2014, @02:13AM
"we filled impacted regions that exceed 35 mm in diameter within 20 min and restored mechanical function within 3 hours. After restoration of impact damage, 62% of the total absorbed energy was recovered in comparison with that in initial impact tests."
-- gewg_