Introduction
Self-healing materials can repair broken molecular bonds within their structure, leading to full or partial restoration of their mechanical properties. “Spontaneously self-healing polymers have a built-in tendency to reform certain types of broken molecular bonds without any outside prodding” (Templeton 1).
Such materials are best suited for unsupervised applications like construction. In other cases, the healing process requires some catalyst, which makes the material capable of healing in general conditions. Such materials are not regarded as self-healing in a strict sense, although they have innumerable industrial applications. Unlike their spontaneously healing counterparts, catalytic healing materials are best suited for closely monitored industrial applications. Spontaneously self-healing materials and their catalytic self-healing counterparts have many applications that can potentially revolutionize the industrial world. This paper is an in-depth analysis of the latest advances in self-healing materials and their applications in contemporary industries.
Advances in self-healing materials
Recent research into self-healing materials has led to the creation of a spontaneous self-healing polymer that is capable of recovering its strength with ninety-seven percent accuracy after it is broken at room temperature. The only precondition for this polymer to reform its bonds and recover its strength is that the broken pieces of the polymer must be adjacent to each other in order for them to self-heal (Templeton). Scientists made elastomers that are capable of healing themselves using a common polymer and an inexpensive and simple method. Such plastics have been widely used as the basic materials in developing a large number of products. This, therefore, implies that this technology can prove to be quite useful if these inventions get practical industrial applications.
Roads, bridges, and other concrete structures have been threatened by the development of cracks that weaken them leading to deterioration. Recent advances in self-healing materials have led to the development of self-healing concrete that could solve this problem for good. The material that forms the concrete’s coating has in-built microcapsules that contain a sealant agent, which aids healing. The aforementioned sealant starts to heal cracks after it is exposed when the material cracks. Sunlight also plays an important role by solidifying the healed material. The technology is inexpensive, catalyst-free, pragmatic, and environmentally friendly (Chandler). In addition to self-healing concrete, some metals known as stress-induced healers that have a self-healing property are being studied. These materials are strengthened by external pressure that could ordinarily pull them apart, or threaten to do so at the very least (Templeton).
Another self-healing material has been developed as a remedy to the cracks that occur in spacecraft. The material is composed of four main components, which include a catalyst known as Grubbs’ catalyst; a composite material that is made up of an epoxy polymer; and a healing agent that is microencapsulated (Bonsor). The healing process of this material is almost similar to that of the aforementioned self-healing concrete except for the fact that the polymer uses the Grubbs’ catalyst during the healing process while the self-healing concrete relies on sunlight.
Applications of self-healing materials
When a tiny crack forms on the surface of an aircraft or spacecraft, it slowly grows and ultimately breaks or weakens the material. This is how the hull of a spaceship is damaged (Bonsor). With self-healing materials, a spacecraft’s life can be substantially prolonged because such cracks will heal automatically as soon as they develop. Self-healing materials are likely to find applications beyond spacecraft and aircraft. Such materials will be invaluable in electronics like computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets; engineering; biomedicine; and even defense projects. One of the most fascinating applications is perhaps the application of self-healing materials in smartphones, whereby the phone’s screen and cover will be able to heal when it scratches. Self-healing materials are also likely to form part of people’s everyday lives. For instance, they are likely to be used in items like artificial human joints in people with weak limbs, in making tennis racquets, in engineering circuit boards, and even in constructing bridges.
Self-healing concrete offers a great opportunity in the construction of strong structures. Cracks developing in structures built with self-healing concrete lead to the breaking of microcapsules that release the self-healing agent. The process is completed as sunlight solidifies the repaired crack. With self-healing concrete, there will be no need to do frequent repairs and maintenance on structures made of concrete. This will ultimately lead to less production of concrete, which will, in turn, lead to less emission of carbon dioxide and a more conserved environment.
The material used in making self-healing polymers and plastics is a raw material for many products in the commercial markets today. This implies that successful development of self-healing properties in this polymer will have a revolutionary effect on manufacturing because products that are more durable will be produced. Self-healing plastics are likely to have a variety of applications. They are likely to be used in making insulating materials for electronics and engineering products. Such materials are also likely to form an important part of plastic surgery. People who have surgical scars and other forms of skin abnormalities are likely to undergo surgery with self-healing artificial skin. This is likely to improve the field of plastic surgery and lead to more sustainable solutions for war veterans and other people with skin deformities. The “fast growing field of cyborg implants” (Templeton 1) could also benefit from artificial self-healing skin. Similarly, the durability of dental, orthopedic and cardiovascular implants can be greatly increased by self-healing materials because most of these implants fail due to the micro-damage that inevitably occurs over a long period.
Conclusion
Self-healing materials sense micro-damage, halt it, and reverse it before it becomes a threat to the functional structure of the materials. These materials do not require an external force to heal. The healing itself is brought about by a healing agent that is contained in microcapsules, which are broken open by the scratching of the material. After the healing agent is released, the affected part begins to heal aided by a catalyst or sunlight. Self-healing materials have innumerable applications including medicine, where they can be used to make dental, orthopedic and cardiovascular implants; engineering, where they can be used to make bridges, buildings and roads; electronics, where they can be used to make coatings for sensitive electrical appliances; and even in computing where they can be used in making more durable computers and tablets. It is no doubt that self-healing materials can potentially revolutionize manufacturing and some fields in medicine like plastic surgery. The technology of self-healing materials is therefore important because it will lead to products that are more durable and increase the sustainability of contemporary industries.
References
Bonsor, Kevin 2011. How Self-healing Spacecraft Will Work. 2011. Web.
Chandler, David 2013. Self-healing Materials Could Arise from Finding That Tension Can Fuse Metal. 2013. Web.
Templeton, Graham 2013. Geek Answers: How do self-healing materials self-heal? 2013. Web.