Self-healing glass repairs itself if pressed together
Researchers in Japan say they have developed the world's first "self-repairing glass" that sticks when pressed together by hand.
Researchers in Japan say they have developed the world's first "self-repairing glass" that sticks when pressed together by hand.
The research, led by Professor Takuzo Aida from the University of Tokyo, could extend the life of fragile devices, particularly smartphone screens.
Usually, glass is repaired by being melted at high temperature but the new type of glass, made from low weight polymer called polyether-thioureas, can stick to itself even in room temperature.
"Soft things are easy to repair, but the harder, more inflexible, and stronger the material is, the self-repairing property disappears. I had to find that point of balance," said Yu Yanagisawa, a member of the research group.
Yanagisawa said that the glass could be used for smartphones, but would be difficult to fix if the screen was broken into tiny powdery fragments.
"I often get told something along the lines of how it is really problematic when smartphone screens break. But if (the broken pieces) has become powdery, it is hard to press together and repair," Yanagisawa said.
He added that he hopes the discovery could be applied to preventing the accumulation of wear-and-tear in infrastructure such as high-speed trains.
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