Rubber that heals itself could be a stretch too far?

Posted on April 04^th 2008

A type of rubber that can bind itself back together after being snapped or punctured has been developed at a French higher learning institute.

The invention could have an affect on the way that liferafts and other marine equipment are developed and processed.

It was found that when the rubber was cut or broken it could self mend at room temperature by simply joining the two ends together. This process could be repeated many times.

Critics of the discovery have cited that silly putty or chewing gum can already perform the same job, but it is the fact that it is a rubber compound that can now do the job that is exciting to many in the marine industry.

The rubber is synthesised from fatty acids and urea, both renewable and economical to use and produce themselves. The only downside is that by removing the covalent and ionic bonding is that the material is weaker than regular rubber used in the marine industry.

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