Material: Heal Thyself! The Brave New World of Synthetic Materials That Self-Heal

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology are giving us the tools to build roads that repair their own potholes, structural beams that mend their own cracks, polymer coatings and paints that erase scratches and dents . . . The list is limited only by the imagination.

The brave new world of self healing materials promises to create a self-perpetuation future that "The World Without Us" would simply not recognise.

To make self-repairing coatings, the researchers first encapsulate a catalyst into spheres less than 100 microns in diameter (a micron is 1 millionth of a meter). They also encapsulate a healing agent into similarly sized microcapsules. The microcapsules are then dispersed within the desired coating material and applied to the substrate.

"By encapsulating both the catalyst and the healing agent, we have created a dual capsule system that can be added to virtually any liquid coating material," said Braun, who also is affiliated with the university's Beckman Institute, Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, department of chemistry, and Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory.

When the coating is scratched, some of the capsules break open, spilling their contents into the damaged region. The catalyst and healing agent react, repairing the damage within minutes or hours, depending upon environmental conditions. _SD

Here is another approach to achieve the same end. The competition is growing, because the economic payoff is obvious. Self healing electronics is another exciting branch of this research. The Second International Conference on Self Healing Materials is scheduled to take place in Chicago, from June 28 - July 1, 2009.

...the topics that are selected as the focal points of this international effort on research in Self Healing Materials:

* Asphaltic materials
* Bio-inspired technical materials
* Cementitious materials
* Composites and hybrids
* Metals
* Paints and other coatings
* Structural polymers
* Biological systems
* Theoretical models related to Self Healing
* Characterisation of Self Healing behaviour
_SelfHealingMaterials Delft

Personally, I am looking for self-sealing spacecraft, orbiting habitats and lunar stations. Self-repairing seastead flotation structures are another must, for the extreme colonist who wishes to survive the every day hazards of an extreme environment. These new nano-tools will make it much easier to survive the rigours of the extreme polar environments, undersea habitats, high altitude "orbiting" research stations, and human habitats that must guard its fragile inhabitants from vacuum, near-vacuum, and extreme toxicity.

These are the tools that Next Level humans will use to create the future for themselves, and for their between-level cousins who choose not to make the transition. Surviving the madness of the coming chaos will require all the tools in our kits.