Spanish scientists create self-healing 'Terminator' plastic... It heals itself after damage!!

Spanish scientists are reporting the world's first self-healing polymer that spontaneously and independently repairs itself without any intervention.

It is the first self-healing polymer that can spontaneously achieve quantitative healing in the absence of a catalyst, they said, and after being cut in two and the pieces pressed together, a sample displayed an impressive 97 per cent healing efficiency in just two hours, being unbreakable when stretched manually.

www.breitbart.com...

The article does not say how hard the finished product is but nevertheless there will be many applications no doubt... One of the comments to the report said, "A god send for those that are rough with their inflatable girlfriends". Now that is something I would never have thought of... Guess experience speaks? all my girlfriends have puffed up on occasion; usually when they thought I was doing something they did not like but, I never had one who needed inflating before use....A little rubbing/touching and kind words seemed to usually work..
Anyway neat invention with many proper uses no doubt...Batteries not needed

If they can make sheets of this stuff it would be a boom for those who like to target practice. Four or five sheets would last a lifetime of plinking. No more buying paper targets.

I also wonder what the insulating property would be when building a house, instead of using tarpaper this stuff would probably last longer and would "heal" around any nails/screws thus making the building last longer. Maybe even a plastic roof? Lots of uses.

My worry is what happens if it "over grows" in the repairs? Happens in human cells so why not this? Humans need to quit trying to improve nature's design and co-exist with it. Now we have GMO plastic. lovely.

Tires! No more holes or plugs for tires! This will make regular rubber tires and skateboard wheels a thing of the past... all you'll need to do is add more rubber!

Very awesome... S&F

~Namaste

This will be used for evil doings like building death robots so we the people can't stop them. This is what they need to get rid of us. Remember this is my own opinion its not based on anything just my thoughts. So please no flamers saying " What proof do you have that this will be used for evil " I now have to disclaim everything I post due to posters attacking me.

I can't imagine the abundance of industries that will use this to improve everything and anything. WHERE DO I INVEST?

reply to post by Sk8ergrl

"What proof do you have that this will be used for evil"

Just about everything ever invented has been used for evil. So it's not hard to imagine that a way will be found with this too. I think in this case. The proof is precedent.

reply to post by Klassified


Exactly and thanks for agreeing. Do you remember the terminator robots that they designed for military? Well they needed a protective skin to protect the components and now they have it according to this article. We all know that the military are 20 years ahead of our technology so they have had this for a long time. As always when we find out about latest tech or meds we are lastly informed.

mhinsey
My worry is what happens if it "over grows" in the repairs? Happens in human cells so why not this? Humans need to quit trying to improve nature's design and co-exist with it. Now we have GMO plastic. lovely.

I think that life should be considered with your question.

The difference between this polymer and human cells is life. Cells are alive, polymer is not.

That means that cells are capable of growth and re-generation, this polymer isn't. Everything the plastic needs to repair itself is already available in it's composition and it's already in the state it needs to be, it doesn't need to grow or change states to heal itself.

It bonds back together using it's own material, no growth or metabolism is required, it doesn't need to build more of itself - like a scab.

It looks as if it is 'melting' back together.

I wonder if it were laid on it's side, instead of standing up, would it still repair as efficiently or does it need a little help from gravity?

It's going to be like the Saturn cars all over again lol, that didn't fare too well remember.

reply to post by mhinsey


I feel you may have misunderstood the technology which has been reportedly created somewhat. You are concerned that it might "over heal", but in reality, using healing as a word to describe what this stuff seems to do, is quite misleading, so I understand how that could happen.

Human beings are a biological system, and as such we are made of cells. Cells appear ONLY in biological organisms, whether lab grown or born naturally. However, what has been created here has no cells at all. It is a polymer with an impressively crafted capacity for self REPAIR. You see, human beings heal after damage, because the blood in their veins contains platelets and other funky bits of equipment, which allow the blood to form a tough scab, while underneath new skin is grown. Totally new skin, which fills the hole which was made by the injury in the first place.

However, this polymer does not have the resources to do that. What it has got, is the capacity for broken edges to be placed next to each other, and the bonds which USED to exist between the molecules at those edges, re-establishes itself. Biological organisms replace damaged skin, but this stuff merely reconnects damaged areas to one another, so there is no growth happening, and so abnormal and excessive re-growth is not possible. You will not see polymer structures like this, emulating the behavior of the sort of bone diseases which set in after a bad break, where excess calcium, deposited at the site by bodily process causes abnormal growths, because there is no growth happening, no replenishment, no biological system at work what so ever.

devildogUSMC
I can't imagine the abundance of industries that will use this to improve everything and anything. WHERE DO I INVEST?

I agree depending on how chemically resistant or U.V. resistant the product is, this may be a big, big, deal that can be used in and for all kinds of things!!

I do wonder about degradation of the self sealing (healing) properties due to exposure to WHATEVER but at this stage depending on cost it looks like a winner...

SonOfTheLawOfOne
Tires! No more holes or plugs for tires! This will make regular rubber tires and skateboard wheels a thing of the past... all you'll need to do is add more rubber!

Very awesome... S&F

~Namaste

You ever see these??

search.yahoo.com...;_ylt=AkOsCaadJ3SRWCZOHgEu4e.bvZx4?p=airless+tires&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-900

video.search.yahoo.com...

images.search.yahoo.com...

They are already coming to the market!! I for one, can't wait!!!!!!!!!!

mhinsey
My worry is what happens if it "over grows" in the repairs? Happens in human cells so why not this? Humans need to quit trying to improve nature's design and co-exist with it. Now we have GMO plastic. lovely.

Sigh. Human cells do not "repair", they replicate. There is no replication here. Just .. sigh.

Now, if they could only create self healing knee cartilage and spinal disks! Oh wait, they already have those! They just come with a really bad users guide! When they get to the GMO pop-tarts, to quote the great Farnsworth "I no longer want to live on this planet!"

reply to post by 727Sky


I wonder if it can be used in the medical profession. I going back for knee surgery again one of the artificial pads they put in tore. I will be interested in what they find this will work in.