Self-Healing

Self-healing is a phrase applied to the process of recovery, motivated by and directed by the patient, guided often only by instinct.

Self-healing materials are a class of smart materials that have the structurally incorporated ability to repair damage caused by mechanical usage over time. The inspiration comes from biological systems, which have the ability to heal after being wounded. Initiation of cracks and other types of damage on a microscopic level has been shown to change thermal, electrical, and acoustical properties, and eventually lead to wholescale failure of the material. Usually, cracks are mended by hand, which is unsatisfactory because cracks are often hard to detect. A material that can intrinsically correct damage caused by normal usage could lower costs of a number of different industrial processes through longer part lifetime, reduction of inefficiency over time caused by degradation, as well as prevent costs incurred by material failure.