Self-Healing Metal: Like 'Terminator' But Not Evil

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Stuttgart, Germany, have unveiled a new metal coating that heals itself when scratched, according to an article published by MIT's Technology Review.

It's not some self-aware, intelligent material that will one day annihilate humans, but rather a 15-micrometer thick metal coating laced with tiny, polymer-filled bubbles. When the material is scratched or damaged, the tiny bubbles rupture and release their liquid, which then fills in the scratches and the material is like new again once it dries.

The biggest hope for the new material, which can be electroplated, is to coat precision instruments such as tools, machines and car parts that otherwise are susceptible to corrosion and wear. The self-healing properties of the new technology still have to be proven, according to the article, but it sounds as if it's showing some promise:

"So far, the researchers have made nanocapsule-infused coatings from metals or alloys including copper, zinc and nickel. In principle, it should be possible to make them from any metal that can be electroplated, says Harald Holeczek, a Fraunhofer researcher who was involved in the work."

Other potential uses for the new material, according to the article, include self-lubricating ball bearings (a coating with oil-filled bubbles) and surfaces that give off a distinct color or odor to alert mechanics of damage or wear.

Very impressive, but I can't shake the image of melted blobs of metal joining back together into a menacing, nearly indestructible killing machine.

Image courtesy of Fraunhofer IPA