2023-07-25 04:00:10
Scientists have observed metal cracking and then rewelding spontaneously. This discovery might revolutionize the field of engineering by introducing self-repairing structures like engines, bridges and planes, thus increasing their safety and lifespan. An artistic rendering of the nanoscale self-healing of the metal discovered at the Sandia National Laboratory. The red arrows indicate the direction of the tensile force which has sets off the phenomenon.
Credit: Dan Thompson
Sandia National Laboratory
The discovery was made by the research team from the Sandia National Laboratory and theUniversité of Texas A&M. “What we have confirmed is that metals have their own intrinsic ability to repair themselves, at least in the case of nanoscale fatigue damage,” says Brad Boyce, scientist of the materials at Sandia.
The concept of a self-healing metal is mostly the work of science fiction so far. This is why the confirmation of the existence of this phenomenon by Michael Demkowicz, a professor at Texas A&M University, is all the more impressive. In 2013, the searcher offered a new theory that a metal should be able to weld its cracks formed by wear under certain conditions.
That his theory was correct was unexpectedly discovered in an experiment conducted by Khalid Hattar, now an associate professor at the University of Tennessee, and Energy Department employee Chris Barr. They witnessed the process of self-healing in a piece of platinum at the nanoscale.
However, many unknowns remain regarding the practical application of this process in a manufacturing context. Brad Boyce explains: “The extent of the generalization of these results will probably make theobjet extensive research. We show that this occurs in nanocrystalline metals under vacuum. But we don’t know if it can also be induced in conventional metals in the open air”.
Despite these unknowns, this discovery represents a significant advance in the field of materials science.
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