Scientists accidentally capture metals 'healing' themselves
Researchers unintentionally documented the remarkable feat at a nanoscale level.
BY ANDREW PAUL | PUBLISHED JUL 24, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Contrary to previous beliefs, metals like copper and platinum can actually repair themselves. DAN THOMPSON / SANDIA NATIONAL LABS
Metals aren’t known to “heal” themselves on their own; once they break, it’s assumed the materials remain broken unless outside forces reform them. But new research into metallic properties indicates this isn’t always the case. In fact, some metals appear to naturally mend of their own accord—a discovery that could one day change engineering designs here on Earth and beyond.
According to a study published last week in Nature, materials scientists from Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Texas A&M University discovered at least some metals—in this case copper and platinum—can “undergo intrinsic self-healing.” As Live Science recently noted, the team’s observations came completely by accident while observing the two materials at a nanoscale level.
The discovery occurred while testing the stress resiliency properties of extremely tiny samples of platinum and copper. To do this, the team subjected the metals to rapid, miniscule prodding via a transmission electron microscope at a rate of 200 taps per second. Although the device only applied pressure akin to that of a mosquito’s legs walking, the metals still developed small cracks over time.
Such issues occur everyday in the real world. “From solder joints in our electronic devices to our vehicle’s engines to the bridges that we drive over, these structures often fail unpredictably due to cyclic loading that leads to crack initiation and eventual fracture,” Brad Boyce, a materials scientist at Sandia National Labs, said in a recent press release. “When they do fail, we have to contend with replacement costs, lost time and, in some cases, even injuries or loss of life.”
More:
https://www.popsci.com/technology/metal-healing-discovery/
= new reply since forum marked as read
?itemid=4832670