A synthetic material that can heal itself could have a major impact (or lack of it) on lubricants.
Self-healing hydrogels Image: Joshua Knoff, UC San Diego |
The invention of materials that heal themselves, despite constant and repeated damage, could have massive implications for the synthetic lubricants industry. The latest discovery, by a team of bioengineers at San Diego's University of California, of a self-healing hydrogel, could be just such a material.
The hydrogels are made from chains of hydrophilic polymer molecules to produce a gum-like substance. The chains have been engineered to re-attach themselves using specific length chains of polymers that 'dangle' from the main structure so, if the main chain is cut or broken, it can re-attach and thus heal itself.
A number of factors can improve the healing process. For example, the length of the hanging chains and the acidity level of the solution or environment surrounding the polymer. The University team is currently working to develop polymers that can function at different PH-levels.
The implications for synthetic lubricants could be significant and various, including the reduction of lubes breakdown under extreme - or even regular - conditions, thus maintaining lubrication properties throughout an extended oil lifecycle.