Daniel BuenoA plastic that can be repaired after being scratched, cut, or even ripped apart has been developed by researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, in a partnership with the multinational chemical company Evonik (also originally from Germany). The material is a new type of “self-healing” polymer that repairs itself by restructuring its original molecular structure without the help of any chemicals, such as additives or catalysts. The restoration process is based on heat – a few minutes at 50º to 120ºC. The polymer contains a system of reticulated fibers or small molecules that are able to correct the chemical arrangement of the material. The plastic underwent mechanical, tension, and viscosity testing in order to confirm its self-repairing properties. The features of this material can be transferred to other polymers that are already commercially available. The results obtained by the group headed by researcher Christopher Barner-Kowollik were published in the journal Advanced Materials on March 21, 2014.
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