Basically, self healing is a process by which the patient takes back his/her body from disease and illness. This healing process is guided by the patient’s natural instinct and is motivated by the patient himself.
Objectives of this overview
Various self healing technologies have been devised over the years. From thermally remendable material to a fancy piece of engineering dubbed the “nest” by the aforementioned “nest-like” woman, it’s safe to say that self-healing technology is on the rise. The goal is to minimize the role that humans play in the repair of any given object. In a nutshell, self-healing technology essentially boils down to removing the human element from the equation. To some, it seems like an unfathomable task. Fortunately, a small handful of enterprising engineers have figured out how to make self-healing materials a reality. With the aid of modern day nanotechnology and additive manufacturing techniques, self-healing technology is not just possible, it’s attainable.
Autonomic or non-autonomic
Several forms of self-healing materials have been developed over the years. These include polymers, metals, and ceramics. These materials have the ability to heal small cracks and restore mechanical, chemical, and physical properties of the material. These types of materials have found applications in a wide range of industries. The ability to self-heal can extend the lifespan of a material and improve its reliability. It can also lead to increased product safety.
There are two types of self-healing materials, autonomic and non-autonomic. Autonomic healing is triggered by damage and requires no additional energy. These materials respond to external stimuli, including thermal, chemical, and mechanical stimuli. Examples of autonomic materials include composite SHPs and shape memory materials. The latter are composites that are made by blending thermosets and thermoplastics.
Intrinsic or extrinsic approaches
Using the self healing capabilities of materials is a promising way to prolong the lifetime of systems. However, there are several methodologies to choose from. While some of them require external stimulation, others rely on chemical bonding and the formation of a stable free radical-mediated reshuffle.
Self-healing systems are classified into two broad categories: intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic systems are fabricated by embedding microcapsules in a reactive solution, while intrinsic systems are based on reversible chemical reactions. The first group is suited for applications in dentistry. Among the extrinsic systems, the microcapsule-based systems have been the most widely used, and they don’t require any fundamental changes in dental polymer manufacturing.
The best way to determine the efficiencies of a material is to evaluate its self-healing capabilities. The healing capabilities of a material can be measured by its ability to restore the properties of a sample after damage. The optimal self-healing process depends on the nature of the damage and the strength of the supramolecular interactions.
Classification of self-healing materials
Various self-healing polymeric materials have been designed and fabricated in the twentieth century. These materials are based on chemical and physical processes. These materials can be classified according to their functional moieties, chemical bonds and physical properties. These materials are ideal for self-healing properties. These materials can heal damage and prevent structure failure. These materials can be used for a variety of applications, such as aerospace engineering, dental restorations and high-temperature elements of thrusters.
The design of self-healing polymers is a multidisciplinary process, involving knowledge of both the chemical and physical processes involved in the polymer chain. The chemical nature of the polymer has a profound effect on the dynamic properties of the material. Moreover, the intermolecular forces are also closely linked to the chemical properties of the polymer. Moreover, the length of the polymer chains is also an important factor in the self-healing rate.
