Self-healing materials for semi-dry conditions
Thursday, November 10, 2016 - 12:01
in Physics & Chemistry
Before we have self-healing cars or buildings, we need strong materials that can fully self-repair in water-free environments. Self-healing materials work very well if they are soft and wet, but research groups have found that the ability to self-repair diminishes as materials dry out. Scientists at Osaka University are beginning to bridge this gap with rigid materials that can repair 99% of a cut on the surface in semi-dry conditions. They present their prototypes, which are the first to combine physical and chemical approaches to self-healing, on November 10 in Chem.