Researchers have established a new material that has the capacity to heal itself in less than one second. The development of the self-healing material can save astronauts if faced with dangerous situations like debris penetrating their spacecraft.
According to a news released by an American Chemical Society, the said material can self-recover when punctured. The material is created by putting in a liquid together with a "key ingredient", in between two layers of a solid polymer. After the solid layers are pierced and the liquid is discharged, the key ingredient will react with oxygen from air to form a solid plug in less than a second.
In the following video, it can be seen that the scientists are testing the material. A bullet is used to penetrate in the material, after penetration, the material can be observed healing itself in less than a second.
According to the journal ACS Macro Letters, researchers from the University of Michigan and NASA Langley Research Center developed the material primarily for backup defense. The research which was funded by NASA can help astronauts in their space missions. The material could avoid damage to spacecraft and even save lives.
The International Space Station is considered to be the most protected spacecraft of all. The secured spacecraft is armed with bumpers in order to block and destroys all kinds of debris.
If the bumpers are damaged and the walls are penetrated, the air that maintains the life of the astronauts will be spilled. With the extreme condition in space, it is appropriate to have a back-up plan to serve as a counter measure in worst scenarios.
The researchers who developed the material said that the technology discovered can also be applied in other areas, just like in the field of automobiles. In fact, the potential of the study is infinite.
