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MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard

[...] The self-healing polymer, created by researchers at the University of Tokyo, was initially discovered by accident while they were studying new adhesives.

During the research, one of the team noticed that the polymer he was examining for use as a glue had the ability to adhere to itself when cut, compressed and held together for 30 seconds at room temperature (21 degrees Celsius, or 70 degrees Fahrenheit).

[...] It's not the first time researchers have designed self-healing materials like this, but what sets the new polymer apart is that it's structurally robust, like glass, but also capable of self-healing – properties that are often mutually exclusive in engineered compounds. What also makes the glass unique is that it performs its self-adhering function at room temperature, whereas other self-healing materials often require heating to induce their bonding behaviour.

Source: Scientists Have Developed Glass That Heals Itself When You Press It Together

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