Self-Healing Polymer made of Common Materials

Self-Healing Polymer made of Common Materials
Feb-09-14
A new self-healing polymer created using “off-the shelf” materials could soon lead to self-healing plastics and paints becoming common, household materials.

The team from the University of Illinois developed the polymer by focusing on using softer stretchy materials made of polyurea, rather than the strong, solid materials used in previous systems. Polyurea is also a common and inexpensive polymer, used in a wide array of consumer goods such as plastics and paints. By altering the structure of the molecules to lengthen the bonds between them, the researchers created a material in which the molecules are easier to pull apart and then reattach—a process called dynamic chemistry.

The polymer healing process can work at room temperature, and unlike some other self-healing materials, can heal over and over again.

More Info about this Invention:

[GIZMAG.COM]
[UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS]
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