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Cog·i·ta·tion [koj-i-tey'-shun] – noun: Concerted
thought or reflection; meditation; contemplation. Kirt [kert] – proper noun: RF Cafe webmaster.
Plastic, Heal Thyself
Modeled after the way the human body heals itself, a new breed of plastics is on the horizon that can not only heal micro-cracks, but prevent the propagation of a crack in progress. Headed by a team at the U. of Illinois, the self-healing plastics incorporate small capsules that release a healing agent when a crack forms. The agent travels to the break through small capillaries that simulate how blood flows to a wound. Polymerization is triggered automatically when the healing agent makes contact with a catalyst embedded in the plastic. The reaction forms a polymer to repair the broken edges of the material. The rounded capsules act as stress relief points to arrest crack propagation. |