September/October 2007
Self-Healing Plastic
A material repairs itself multiple times.
By Prachi Patel
![]() |
|
Self-repair: Cracks release fluid from ¬microchannels (tubes); the fluid solidifies after touch¬ing catalysts (dots).
Credit: Janet Sinn Hanlon, University of Illinois |
A new polymer material that fixes its own cracks could be a step toward self-healing medical implants or self-repairing materials for use in airplanes and spacecraft. It consists of an epoxy polymer layer containing tiny catalyst particles, deposited on a substrate containing microchannels filled with a liquid.
![]() | Select from the choices above to read the entire article. |
Customer Service
|
Magazine Services
|
Subscribe
|
Other
|
Advertise
|



