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Self-Healing Carbon-Fiber Vitrimer Demonstrates Metal-Beating Strength and Recyclability

Published tests identify critical activation temperatures, quantify self-healing across damage cycles, flag diminished efficiency after repeated fatigue.

This photograph taken on October 14, 2024, shows a handful of recycled plastic granules sourced from Thailand being used in the manufacturing of carpets at a Condor Carpets factory in Hasselt, northeastern Netherlands. Founded in 2019, Tide collects around 1,000 tonnes of plastic a year from Thailand and other locations. The collected plastic is processed into pellets before being shipped to customers like Condor Group, one of Europe's largest carpet manufacturers. (Photo by Nick Gammon / AFP) / To go with 'PLASTIC-ENVIRONMENT-UN-OCEANS,FOCUS' by Sara HUSSEIN (Photo by NICK GAMMON/AFP via Getty Images)
Damaged aircraft and vehicles highlight the urgent need for advanced materials.
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Overview

  • ATSP reinforced with carbon fibers achieved specific strengths several times that of steel while remaining lighter than aluminum.
  • Heating to about 160 °C triggered self-healing that restored nearly full strength after two cycles and about 80 percent efficiency by the fifth cycle under 280 °C exposures.
  • Hundreds of combined stress-heating cycles caused no catastrophic failures and in some tests improved durability during the healing process.
  • The material’s adaptive vitrimer chemistry maintained integrity across successive reshaping and recycling cycles, suggesting a lower-waste alternative to traditional plastics.
  • Researchers highlight near-term prospects for on-demand repair in defense, aerospace and automotive components but note that scaling production and addressing localized manufacturing defects remain hurdles.