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Self-healing Materials With Microvascular Networks (Image 5)
A self-healing, structural epoxy beam with a surface coating that is healed through supply of healing agent (dyed red for clarity) from the underlying vascular bed. In testing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UI), surface cracks were repeatedly healed up to seven consecutive times with no loss in healing efficiency.
In nature, damage to an organism elicits a healing response. A research team led by Scott White, group leader for the Autonomous Materials Systems group at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at UI, decided to apply this concept to synthetic materials design and developed a self-healing polymer. Tiny capsules containing a healing agent are embedded in the polymer. When the material is damaged, the capsule ruptures and releases the healing agent, which repairs cracks. Further information about this new generation of bio-inspired healing materials is available Here. [Adapted from Toohey et al., Nature Materials, Vol. 6, 2007.] (Date of Image: 2006) [Image 5 of 5 related images. Back to Image 1.]
Credit: Kathleen Toohey, University of Illinois, 2006; Support: Air Force Office of Scientific Research
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