English 
Spanish 
3 min read
3 comments
“Self-healing” phenomenon in metals could revolutionize engineering and challenge traditional concepts of physics!
Have you ever imagined a metal that repairs itself, without any human intervention? American scientists made an unexpected discovery while studying the resistance of metal alloys and ended up witnessing a surprising phenomenon: a piece of platinum “healing itself” after suffering cracks. The discovery, published in the renowned journal Nature, still intrigues researchers, as they do not fully understand how the process works. However, this new frontier of science of materials can open up countless possibilities in the future of engineering, according to the website superabril.
The discovery that took everyone by surprise
It all started when a team of scientists led by Brad Boyce were conducting routine stress experiments on a tiny piece of platinum, about 40 nanometers thick (less than half the thickness of a sheet of paper!). The idea was to test the strength of the metal applying constant tension to its ends, simulating the wear that occurs in machines and structures over time.
And then came the surprise. After 40 minutes of testing, something incredible happened: the crack that had formed in the metal simply began to “close” on its own. That’s right, the metal was healing! “It was jaw-dropping,” Boyce said. “We never expected to see this happen.”
- Africa: The continent that is literally falling apart and could form a NEW ocean in the future
- The end of the chain on bicycles? French company launches transmission kit with timing belt
- Clean hydrogen in minutes — Researchers say microwaves can provide clean energy faster
- Nuclear fusion has found the miracle it needed on the road to commercial power plants
The phenomenon of “self-healing” of metals
What scientists witnessed was a phenomenon called self healing, something that goes against everything that was known until then about the durability of metals. Traditionally, engineers have always assumed that fatigue cracks – small fissures that appear due to repeated stress – were irreversible. That is, once cracked, the metal would continue to deteriorate until it broke completely.
But in this case, the metal did exactly the opposite. It began to “patch” the crack, as if it were regenerating itself, something that until then was considered impossible in science of materials. This phenomenon challenges basic engineering principles and opens up a new field of research to understand how this process works.
The potential impact of this discovery
If scientists can understand and control this phenomenon, the impact on engineering could be huge. Just imagine: bridges, airplanes, engines, and even smartphones built with self-repairing materials! This would not only increase the durability of products, but also reduce maintenance and part replacement costs.
However, there is still much to be studied. The experiments so far have been conducted in a controlled environment, in a vacuum, with nanocrystalline metals. The big question is: could this also happen with conventional metals, such as steel or aluminum, under normal conditions of use, such as outdoors?
A promising future for materials science
Although the discovery of “self-healing” metals is recent, the idea had already been predicted by Michael Demkowicz, one of the scientists involved in the study. He believed that something like this could occur due to a process called cold welding, in which atoms from nearby metal surfaces bond together without the need for heat.
Even without all the answers, one thing is certain: this discovery is on the frontier of science of materials and promises to revolutionize the way we think about and design metal structures. “We still have a lot to learn, but this is a discovery that could change everything,” said Demkowicz. Who knows, in the near future we may see this technology being applied on a large scale, from large structures to small electronic devices.
The future of metals and science has never been so exciting!
“METAL”, “science”, “ore”
I'll say one thing about this news: I'm speechless.
The University of Texas found out last year!
I'm very interested.