New Self-Healing Materials Detect When They're Damaged and Fix Themselves
A Thermal Image Shows the Shape-Memory System in Action Where infrared laser light - that is, heat - is applied, the material toughens and regains its original shape, strengthening cracks or tears in the material. Image courtesy of American Institute of Physics Call it science imitating art imitating life. Arizona State researchers are working up a self-diagnosing, self-healing material that can sense the presence of damage and regenerate itself -- just like the Terminator. Like a biological structure, this "autonomous adaptive structure" could be used to develop useable composites that are self-healing, halting the progression of cracks or damage and regenerating material wherever needed to re-strengthen the structure. The material employs "shape-memory" polymers, or materials that return to a pre-defined shape when heated to a certain temperature (for a very straightforward demonstration of how this works, see the video below). The polymers are embedded with a fiber-optic network that serves as both...