According to researchers at Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), scratched paintwork on a car could be a thing of the past if new discoveries in the development of self-repairing polymers realise their initial promise.
Central to this Utopian possibility is a new polymer that has the ability to mend itself in a few minutes after being heated at low temperatures of around 120 degrees Celsius.
The research team, headed by Christopher Barner-Kowollik, says the new polymer could be used for the creation of self-repairing sealants, scratch-resistant paints, and more reliable fibre-reinforced plastic components.
Research into self-repairing polymers has so far taken two problematic directions; the first using a network of embedded microcapsules containing a healing agent that can only work a limited number of times, and the second using a potentially infinitely effective but energy-hungry process that utilises reversible chemical reactions,
The apparent breakthrough is the recent development of a third approach using a “switchable network” of cross-linked fibres or small molecules bonded by a reversible chemical reaction.
Researchers say the peculiarity of the new material is that the fibres can be broken down into their constituents, then reassembled with the application of (relatively low) heat.
The process can theoretically be repeated an unlimited number of times.
The research team says the new polymer could also be used in rapid prototyping, adhesives and composite materials.