Published: December 23, 2024 | Updated: 23rd December 2024
A new study led by Bournemouth University has made advances in the field of self-repairing plastics.
Scientists added specially developed nanomaterials to plastic samples which allowed them to self-heal after being damaged and retain almost all their original strength.
Their findings, published in the journal Applied Nano Materials, could open the door to new sustainable products, helping to reduce plastic waste.
“We’re following the same process as Mother Nature,” said Dr Amor Abdelkader, associate professor in advanced materials at Bournemouth University.
“When you cut your finger, the blood will initially solidify to cover the crack until the skin tissue seals it.
“That’s what we’re doing with our plastics.
The plastic is damaged…
“Most of the things in our everyday lives have plastic in them, and this has potential to extend the life of a whole range of products and reduce waste – from re-useable drink bottles to mobile phones to plastic pipes and so much more.”
Dr Abdelkader and his team used nanosheets of a material called MXene, which looks like a powder to the naked eye and is used in industry as a reinforcement agent to strengthen plastics.
They attached chemicals to the MXene to create a healing agent with glue-like properties.
The healing agent sits dormant like a gel until the plastic breaks and it’s exposed to the humidity in the atmosphere, at which point it activates to repair the broken sections.
…and repaired, maintaining almost all of its original strength.
“Using MXene with our healing agent means that we get the benefits of stronger plastic, which is harder to break – but if it does break, it will fix itself,” said Dr Chirag Ratwani, who was the chief scientist on the project while studying for his PhD.
“The process takes just a few minutes, and we managed to restore the plastic to 96 per cent of its original strength.”
Building on this healing function, the Bournemouth researchers are now carrying out research to design new devices that could last longer by repairing themselves.
Dr Abdelkader added: “We’ve tested that and designed new sensors for detecting human motion that self-repair after being subjected to damage.
“Such a concept paves the way for new-generation electronics that require no or minimal maintenance and therefore last longer.”