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Emerging Technologies #7Self-Healing Materials Regenerate ThemselvesTable of Contents TOC \o "1-2" \h \z \u Section 1 – Executive Summary PAGEREF _Toc372207731 \h 2Section 2 – Related News & Articles PAGEREF _Toc372207732 \h 3Article 1.Priority Programme “Design and Generic Principles of Self-healing Materials” PAGEREF _Toc372207733 \h 3Article 2.Self-Healing Polymer Shows Why Its Nickname is “Terminator” PAGEREF _Toc372207734 \h 4Article 3.“Terminator” Plastic Polymer Can Heal Itself PAGEREF _Toc372207735 \h 5Section 1 – Executive SummarySelf-Healing Materials Regenerate ThemselvesThe Senate of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) has announced the establishment of a new Priority Programme entitled “Design and Generic Principles of Self-healing Materials”. Self-healing materials are a class of smart materials that have the structurally incorporated ability to repair damage caused by mechanical usage over time. The inspiration comes from biological systems, which have the ability to heal after being wounded. Initiation of cracks and other types of damage on a microscopic level has been shown to change thermal, electrical, and acoustical properties, and eventually lead to whole scale failure of the material.Usually, cracks are mended by hand, which is unsatisfactory because cracks are often hard to detect. A material (concrete, polymers, ceramics, etc.) that can intrinsically correct damage caused by normal usage could lower production costs of a number of different industrial processes through longer part lifetime, reduction of inefficiency over time caused by degradation, as well as prevent costs incurred by material failure. For a material to be defined strictly as self-healing, it is necessary that the healing process occurs without human intervention. This self-healing material technology could be useful in the future by extending the life spans of plastic parts that are constantly under a lot of strain. Its impressive combination of elasticity and strength can bring the self-healing advantage to tablets, phones or other gadgets by sustaining scratches and scrapes.These materials would greatly improve materials’ reliability and lifetime by reversing damage development once or even multiple times. Many researchers around the world are working on different ideas of self-healing materials; even NASA is researching self-healing materials to reduce dangerous repair needs in outer space.Section 2 – Related News & ArticlesPriority Programme “Design and Generic Principles of Self-healing Materials”Source: (28/10/2013)The Senate of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) has announced the establishment of a new Priority Programme entitled “Design and Generic Principles of Self-healing Materials” (SPP 1568). The programme is designed to run for six years; the present call invites proposals for the second three-year funding period.“Self-healing materials” are able to partially or completely heal damage inflicted on them (in particular crack formation) in situ and to such a degree that the original functionality is restored – not necessarily the outer or inner microstructure. The healed functionalities range from mechanical properties to aesthetics, barrier function, conductivity, optical properties etc. These materials would greatly improve materials’ reliability and lifetime by reversing damage development once or even multiple times. Self-healing ability is not limited to one specific material class: it is applicable to concrete, to polymers (and their composites), to metals and ceramics.The main objective of this Priority Programme is (1) to elucidate fundamental cross-disciplinary, material-independent principles and design strategies and (2) to apply the knowledge gained to new approaches in the different material classes. The ultimate goal is to provide a new generation of adaptive high-performance materials that can be used for various applications in technology and medicine. Fundamental scientific questions and challenges concern the influence of the hierarchical structural order on the damage process (localisation by hierarchical borders), damage detection and signal transmission resulting in autonomic self-healing, local stimulation of healing processes (precise local activation), determination of efficiency of the achievable damage regeneration and self-healing of functional materials (i.e. functionalities beside mechanical properties).The research programme will be devoted to three material classes (polymers & composites, ceramics & concrete & asphalt, metals). The investigation of the basic principles for all classes and the application of the principles for synthesis/fabrication of self-healing materials will be in the centre of interest.Self-Healing Polymer Shows Why Its Nickname is “Terminator”Source: (26/10/2013)Self-healing polymers are a new class of smart materials with a capability to heal themselves when they are damaged without any help or repair by manual intervention of any kind. According to experts, the first materials with self-healing properties may be just around the corner, although the serious thinking for this technology goes back to the 1960s when Soviet researchers published theory papers on this topic.A team of materials scientists from CIDETEC Centre for Electrochemical Technologies in Spain has created a polymer that can heal itself without any need of outside intervention like heat, light, chemicals or any manual interference. The researchers have dubbed the material as ‘Terminator’ polymer, referring to the popular?Terminator?movies with robot soldiers that could heal themselves and were virtually indestructible.To show their discovery, researchers sliced a tube of the polymer material in half and were able to stick the two pieces back together again in just two hours at room temperature with almost 97% efficiency. The material was able to heal itself and the two separate pieces were impossible to pull apart.This self-healing material technology could be useful in the future by extending the life spans of plastic parts that are constantly under a lot of strain. Its impressive combination of elasticity and strength can bring the self-healing advantage to tablets, phones or other gadgets by sustaining scratches and scrapes.Many researchers around the world are working on different ideas of self-healing materials; even NASA is researching self-healing materials to reduce dangerous repair needs in outer space. “Terminator” Plastic Polymer Can Heal ItselfSource: (22/10/2013)What if any plastic object you owned could heal itself if cracked or broken into two parts? No more emergency tire changes or water pipe fiascos; those pesky scenarios would resolve themselves.That day may not be too far off now that scientists have created a plastic polymer that can do just that. Created by a research team lead by Ibon Odriozola at the CIDETEC Center for Electrochemical Technologies in San Sebastian, Spain, this plastic polymer shares the same regenerative traits as human skin.When cut in half, the plastic will naturally congeal after two hours at room temperature without an outside catalyst. The team even nicknamed the plastic “Terminator” after the T-1000 that heals itself in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”Watch the video to see for yourself. After slicing the plastic, Odriozola placed the parts together and left the room. Within two hours, the plastic had gelled together; no amount of pulling could tear it in half again.In a Skype interview with ABC News, Odriozola stressed that the technology is still in its infancy. That said, he already envisions several practical uses for it in adhesives and sealants. That may sound trivial, but it could add up to a lot of time and money saved for homeowners and industrial workers alike. ................
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