Dumb materials succumb to rust, but smart materials might be able to heal themselves.
Researchers in Europe have devised a novel nano coating for metals and alloys that forms a very thin gel-like layer on the material. If this coating is damaged, the metal would normally be exposed to the elements. However, the nano particles contain a preservative that instead spreads to fill any microscopic cracks and holes that appear and quickly blocks them; preventing further attack from whatever corrosive agent was eating at the metal.
The current materials can heal cracks of up to 100 micrometres in size in water and in salt solutions. “The next stage is to develop the self-healing coatings to adapt them for other metals, such as steel,” Shchukin adds, “and to provide faster release of the inhibitor from the nanoreservoirs resulting in faster healing of the defects.”