Self-Healing, Stretchable Wire

Jan-25-13 Researchers have developed self-healing wires able to reconnect at the molecular level even after being completely severed.

Developed by the same North Carolina State University team that recently debuted super-stretchy wires, the self-healing wires are made from a commercially-available self-healing polymer. The team bored tiny microfluidic channels in the polymer using solid wire, and then filled the channels with a liquid-metal alloy of indium and gallium, resulting in a liquid-metal wire in an elastic sheath.

If the wires are cut, the liquid metal will oxidize to form a thin skin that prevents it from leaking from the sheath, and pressing the cut ends of the wire together will cause the liquid metal to reconnect on the molecular level. This could allow circuits to be re-wired using only a pair of scissors.

More Info about this Invention:

[GIZMAG.COM]
[NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY]

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