Scientists develop self-healing composites

Technology hasn’t reached the point where a mechanic can walk up to a deteriorating airplane and urge: “Wing, heal thyself!” But that exhortation now comes to mind. Researchers have developed a composite material that has the ability to repair small cracks within itself.

The chemical that flowed from this ruptured microcapsule formed a crack-healing polymer when it came into contact with a catalyst embedded in the surrounding matrix.