All kinds of articles can be reused even afterbreaking or cracking. Seems mind-boggling, yet true. Thanks to the auto healingprocess.

Rubbers display enormous extensible characters, and alsohave the ability to recover back to their original shape and dimension, oncethe pressure on it is released. This rubber is made of a single and stretchymolecule that is held together with chemical links called covalent bonds. Ifthese bonds are cut due to some reason, the rubber cannot be repaired. Newapproaches in the chemistry of materials are opening new windows to thepotential applications of rubber. A leading chemical company in France has used a new approach through which broken or cracked rubber can be repaired byitself and in a normal room temperature.

This is a rubber like material made from plant oil, and ureadeveloped on the basis of supra-molecular engineering. Supramolecular chemistryis a branch of chemistry which enables major enhancements in everydayapplications. Through this process, rubber can be repaired by simply puttingtogether the fractured surfaces at room temperature. This process can berepeated several times.

Supramolecular Chemistry Initiates Self-healing Materials:

Supramolecular materials which are intermolecular bonds, incontrast with polymers are derived from traditional chemistry, based onirreversible i.e.; permanent bonds. This feature enables a self-healingcapacity. This is a renewable bio-based polymer which can fix itself whensliced into two. Cracks or breaks occurring in supramolecular materials can be healedby simply putting the fractured surfaces back together and applying lightpressure; the materials recover nearly all their initial strength without theneed for bonding or heating.

When rubber is cut, the end groups on the acids are exposedand hydrogen bonds to the neighboring groups are also broken. Its nature is toseek a partner to link, and this happens when the cut surfaces are brought backtogether. When the two cut surfaces are brought in contact with each other, thehydrogen bonds are formed again. The longer the ends are held together, thestronger the bond is. Once the healing process is complete, the healed rubbercan be stretched to twice its size just after a short time of 15 minutes.

Potential Applications:

This self healing elastomer technology has wide range ofapplications in fields where rubber is used, and is likely to be damaged bycracks. This technology foresees profitable applications in making conveyorbelts, sealing joints, insulation and shock absorbing materials, organicbinders, sealants, varnishes, paints, coatings for metal and many more.

These materials can be processed, reused and recycledseveral times. These bizarre self healing properties, the simplicity of their synthesis,and reasonable cost of materials makes them a preferential choice forindustrial applications. Supramolecular chemistry is a proof of how applicationoriented industrial research can be creatively utilized for major industrialinnovations.

References:

1. &sec=article&uinfo=<%=server.URLEncode(1926)%>" target="_blank">http://www.nature.com
2. &sec=article&uinfo=<%=server.URLEncode(1926)%>" target="_blank">http://www.chemie.de
3. &sec=article&uinfo=<%=server.URLEncode(1926)%>" target="_blank">http://news.mongabay.com