Unit 5.1 Minidoc: Self-Healing Materials
Self-healing materials use advanced chemical mechanisms in order to reduce microscopic damage in case of fracture. Modern chemistry research and development enable the design of these materials. Video program cues: 0:30-4:15

The breakability of matter

Link

• Article on self-healing composites

Self-healing materials

"I have seen experiments done by the group at Virginia Tech, where they are taking sheets of this ionomer and shooting bullets through it and a bullet makes a hole, but the hole instantly heals. That’s a very interesting case, because what the bullet does, it tends to fluidize the polymer sheet locally where the bullet hole was, but at the same time you have a large number of metal ions which tend to cluster together again…and it instantaneously heals."

Dr. Richard Wool
Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware

Link

• Easily understood illustrated explanation of ionomers, from the University of Southern Mississippi’s Polymer Macrogalleria.

Reading
Steve, S. (2001)' Plastic Mends Its Own Cracks, 'Chemical & Engineering News, Vol. 79, No. 8, pp: 13.

Healing microscopic fractures

Links

• The basic chemistry of self-healing composites, from the University of Illinois, Urbana —Champaign
• From HowStuffWorks, an article on self-healing materials in space.

Reading
Heinhorst, S.; Cannon, G. (2002)' Nature: Self-Healing Polymers and Other Improved Materials, 'Journal of Chemical Education, Vol. 79, No. 1, pp: 10-11.

Proceed to Unit 5.2