Plastics : New technologies - Self-Healing plastics -

Self-healing plastics are materials that can repair damage (like scratches, cracks, or cuts) automatically or with minimal external intervention.

How self-healing plastic Works:

Autonomous Healing:

• It contains microcapsules of healing agents
• When damaged, the capsules break
• The healing agent gets released
• A chemical reaction occurs
• The damage repairs itself

Non-autonomous plastic healing:

Method requiring an external trigger:

• Heat
• Light
• Pressure
• Chemical catalyst
• Electrical current

Types of healing systems:

Capsule-based:

• The healing agent comes in capsules
• The catalyst is in the material
• It breaks the release agent
• Healing agent is released

Vascular systems:

• It consists of a network of channels
• It contains healing agents like a irrigation system
• It guarantees a continuous supply of the healing agent
• It allows for multiple healing cycles

Intrinsic systems:

• The dammaged material heals itself 
• It uses reversible bonds
• It is temperature activated
• No need for additional chemicals to initiate the healing process
• It allows for multiple healing cycles

Applications of the self-healing process:

Current uses:

• Phone screen protectors
• Car paint/coatings
• Electronics
• Pipeline coatings
• Aerospace materials

Future potential:

• Medical implants
• Building materials
• Vehicle parts
• Consumer electronics
• Protective gear

Advantages:

• It allows for an extended product life
• It reduces maintenance
• It offers a self-repair capability
• It helps with damage prevention
• It saves costs

Limitations:

• Self-healing systems can be costly
• They have a limited healing capacity
• They are temperature sensitive
• They offer a lot of processing challenges
• The self-healing products are not as performant as the traditional ones