Scientists have developed a new material said to be capable of "healing" itself as would a biological organism and it is reported in the 15 February issue of the journal Nature. The discovery is said by observers to possibly lead to longer lasting and structurally self-repairing fiber reinforced polymer composite applications and objects difficult or impossible to reach, including aircraft, bridges, buildings, satellites, rocket engines, space stations, tennis rackets, golf clubs, aircraft, prosthetic devices, and more. The initial interest is in microelectronics, for computer printed circuit boards, where many come off the production line with microcracks that make them unusable.Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign created a fiberglass reinforced composite material incorporating densely packed microcapsules, about 100 to 200 per cubic inch in the composite. Each is filled with a chemical agent that automatically results in the equivalent of healing the surrounding material when released.
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