Material Longevity and Intrinsic Healing with Self-Healing Materials

Self-healing materials could help to increase the longevity of materials, while reducing maintenance costs and increasing their sustainability. They can repair physical damage and increase the reliability of infrastructure, bringing endless possibilities to a number of technology sectors that use manmade materials. IDTechEx's report, "Self-Healing Materials 2025-2035: Technologies, Applications, and Players", outlines the different processes involved, along with the key players operating within the sector.

 

 

Extending the lifespan of goods and enhancing safety by limiting the potential for failure of materials prove self-healing materials to be a revolutionary technology, capable of reducing the need for human intervention and repair costs. Reducing carbon emissions with less need for repair materials is another way that the environment can benefit.

 

Both economic and material drivers have a part to play in pushing self-healing material technology forward. On average, IDTechEx reports that industrialised nations lose out on around 3% GDP annually due to the premature degradation of goods. As a result, the total cost of ownership for infrastructure is becoming increasingly considered, with research being carried out focusing on the possibility of lower cost infrastructure. The resultant need for the longevity and preservation of materials may increase the desirability of self-healing materials in a number of sectors.

 

 

Damage to infrastructure even on a microscopic level can impact other material properties, with micro cracks leading to macro cracks and structural failure over time, which is why it's best to deal with issues early on.

 

Many solid materials can self-heal in one way or another. Intrinsic self-healing refers to the host material already possessing such qualities or being able to become self-healing when exposed to air or water in the form of a reaction. Extrinsic self-healing sees embedded artefacts within the host material providing a healing agent in response to damage.

 

Other considerations for self-healing materials include how often a material is able to repair itself, or the degree of autonomy. Materials that can continue to mend damage without the need for human intervention is the most sought-after type within the market. However, there are many types of self-healing materials with different capabilities, from those that require intervention and only heal once, to those that can repeatedly and completely autonomously self-heal. Fully autonomous repeatable self-healing is best achieved with polymers in the form of carbon or silicon paste

 

 

There are three types of self-healing categories, including intrinsic, and microcapsule and vascular, which are both extrinsic. Intrinsic self-healing relies on the existing properties of a material, whereby the material is able to flow into a damaged area due to its nature.

 

The microcapsule approach sees another material embedded into a host, with a reactive material being released into a crack when ruptured. The vascular approach is similar, whereby a network is embedded into the host material, which can supply reactants to damaged areas to fill cracks.

 

Several material considerations need to be taken into consideration for a microcapsule-based system. For example, the capsules need to have a long lifetime, be dispersible within the host material, and the walls need to be weak enough to ensure rupture. There are also multiple considerations for the other materials involved, which can be found in detail within the report.

 

The application closest to maturity is PVC cutting mats, while tires, paint protection film, concrete, and anti-corrosion coatings are just beginning their commercial journeys. Other applications also in development stages include fuel cell membranes, Li-ion batteries, battery electrolytes, silicon anodes, battery electrodes, sensors, advanced materials, and robots.

 

For more information, current market trends, key players, emerging applications, and insights for stakeholders, visit IDTechEx's report, "Self-Healing Materials 2025-2035: Technologies, Applications, and Players" and the portfolio of Sustainability Research Reports and Subscriptions.