Self Healing Materials in Action

Self healing in action. Imagine a future where damage and disintegration are resolved by smart materials and electronics...

This kind of work has been underway for a while in the field of solar cells to alleviate the burden of fixing cracks and defects that accrue over time, for example.

Another area of interest is for space materials. Space is no picnic! Satellites and rockets get bombarded constantly, not just from highly ionising cosmic particles, but also from space dust and junk. A possible solution? Self healing materials.

Its interesting that the study linked below is bio-inspired. But of course! Our bodies (and any living organism, for that matter), have evolved elaborate mechanisms to heal themselves involuntarily. You skin will repair when grazed, your blood vessels can re-route when encountering difficulty of passage, your chemical makeup takes care of those pesky pathogens, and your brain can rewire itself in response to trauma...

Its high time we learn (even!) from more from nature and see if we can utilise these properties for more good.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releas…/2018/…/180521131748.htm