Nov-13-12
A team from Stanford University has developed a self-healing material that is also sensitive to touch, opening the door to a new kind of robot skin and improved prosthetic devices.
Although other self-healing polymers do exist, the Stanford material is unique in that its self-healing properties function at room temperature, without the need for a special catalyst, and it can heal itself more than once. To make the plastic polymer conductive, the team added nickel nanoparticles to the material, which also increased its mechanical strength.
As a test, the polymer was cut in half and then gently pressed back together. Within a few seconds the material had regained 75 percent of its original strength and conductivity, and was restored to almost 100 percent within 30 minutes. Even after 50 cuts and repairs, the material was still able to withstand bending as well as the original, un-cut versions.
Images: Linda A. Cicero
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