Scientists have created a "self-healing" polymer substance with the ability to regenerate itself.
Researchers dubbed the material "Terminator" after the shape-shifting robotic character in the "Terminator 2" film, a Royal Society of Chemistry press release reported.
The materials can achieve "quantitative healing" without a catalyst, and are the first of their kind; the creation of the substance was cheap and simple. "The scientists prepared the self-healing thermoset elastomers from common polymeric starting materials," the press release reported.
The "permanently cross-linked poly(urea-urethane) elastomeric network" completely repairs itself, even after being cut in half with a sharp razor.
"The idea behind this is to reconnect the chemical crosslinks which are broken when a material fractures, restoring the integrity of the material. This is expected to provide polymers with enhanced lifetime and resistance to fatigue," the authors wrote in the study, CBS News reported.
Self-healing Polymer acts similarly to Velcro or an adhesive. The material was able to mend itself by 97 percent in only two hours. Once the material had been left to sit for the allotted period of time, a researcher was able to stretch it without having it break at the previously-cut screen, the news release reported
"First, a pristine cylinder made from [the polymer] was cut in half with a knife. Then the two halves were put in contact and allowed to stand at room-temperature, without applying any pressure," the authors said in the study, CBS News reported.
Researchers believe the finding could lead to the creation of "stronger sealants, paints, adhesives and more. This could eventually lead to self-repairing pipes, bicycle tires and Barbie dolls, among a million other possibilities," CBS News reported.
"The fact that poly(urea-urethane)s with similar chemical composition and mechanical properties are already used in a wide range of commercial products makes this system very attractive for a fast and easy implementation in real industrial applications," the researchers said in the news release.
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