Skip to main content
EVENT TRACKER
Keep track of rescheduled, canceled industry events with our COVID-affected event tracker - Powered by Snap Finance
Close
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber & Plastics News
  • European Rubber Journal
tb-logo
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • OPINION
    • CORONAVIRUS
    • AUTO INDUSTRY
    • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
    • COMMERCIAL TIRE
    • FACTORY FIXES
    • GOVERNMENT & LAW
    • INTERNATIONAL
    • MOTOR SPORTS
    • NEW PRODUCTS
    • RETAIL TIRES
    • SERVICE ZONE
    • SEMA/AAPEX
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • TIRE MAKERS
    • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      Cover-up: More retailers requiring face masks to curb COVID
      USW alleges COVID-19 violations at Kumho plant
    • GM banking on 'BrightDrop' EV to build commercial van business
      Stengel promoted to president of NAPA parent Genuine Parts Co.
      Former auto exec Tyrone Jordan joins Cooper board of directors
      Bridgestone crafts virtual city to showcase sustainable-mobility initiatives
    • New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      H&H broadens precure OTR business with Continuum mold acquisition
      Apollo to raise prices of Vredestein brand, effective March 1
      Taiwan tire makers propose settlement of import duties case
    • GM banking on 'BrightDrop' EV to build commercial van business
      Gary Price to head Love's Truck Care operations
      TA opens 6th Oregon location, bringing 50 jobs to area
      Love's opens Speedco shops in Ariz., Calif., Ga.
    • New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Taiwan tire makers propose settlement of import duties case
      Wireless auto data debate continues
      World rubber demand in 2021 to recover to 2019 levels — IRSG
    • General Tire Canada renews sponsorship deal with Raceline Network
      GRI expanding ag tire capacity at 3-year-old Sri Lanka plant
      Point S Canada adds 61 stores to network in 2020
      New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
    • General Tire Canada renews sponsorship deal with Raceline Network
      Indy Autonomous Challenge: High-speed, head-to-head, no drivers
      TGI secures Cosmo-brand naming rights at Fla. race track
      Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg postponed until April
    • Kumho launches commercial LT, performance tire lines
      The new One: Nokian unveils all-season passenger tire
      Ford, Hyundai earn 2021 top North American vehicle honors
      BKT expanding its ATV/UTV lineup with Sierra Max Pro radials
    • WTC hosting webinar Jan. 20 on load-capacity standards
      Bauer Built completes expansion at Neb. facility
      Point S Canada adds 61 stores to network in 2020
      J.D. Power survey: Quick greeting key to customer satisfaction
    • Shocks/struts maker KYB unveils video training series
      Bauer Built completes expansion at Neb. facility
      Marinucci: Basic steps to email efficiency
      Point S Canada adds 61 stores to network in 2020
    • WTC hosting webinar Jan. 20 on load-capacity standards
      Denver's Brian Sump named AAPEX Shop Owner of the Year
      DUB, TIS Wheels founder Myles Kovacs is SEMA Person of the Year
      AAPEX: Using social media to promote your business
    • Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      2020 Review: PPP loans give boost to small businesses
      Latest COVID relief bill includes $325B in small-business support
      AAPEX: Do more cars in the shop mean more profit?
    • General Tire Canada renews sponsorship deal with Raceline Network
      Apollo to raise prices of Vredestein brand, effective March 1
      Taiwan tire makers propose settlement of import duties case
      Kumho launches commercial LT, performance tire lines
    • Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      Stocking Tires for Crossover SUVs
  • SHOP FLOOR
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Video: Balancing Tire
      Choosing the right balancing equipment
      Safety tips for wheel balancing
      An introduction to wheel balancing
    • Video: Demounting
      Demounting Equipment
      Making rims ready for a tight seal
      Tire changer types, tips and trends
    • Video: Safety
      Making friends with OSHA
      Ergonomics on the shop floor
      Customers
    • Video: Tire Repair
      Tire repair: Shining a light on visual inspections
      Staying safe when repairing a tire
      Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair
    • Video: TMPS Service
      Decoding sensor data for TPMS diagnosis
      Replacement TPMS sensor overview
      The life-saving work of TPMS
    • Video: Training
      Advantages of apprentice program partnerships
      Options and resources for CE tech training
      Internship ideas to attract tech talent
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      All types of lifts for all types of work
      Tips and recommendations for lifting safety
      The gravity of proper lift points
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      Using torque sticks to speed service times
      The danger of too much, too little torque
      The importance of torque specifications
  • Multimedia
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • PODCASTS
  • Events
    • ASK THE EXPERT
    • LIVESTREAMS
    • WEBINARS
    • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
  • Data
    • DATA STORE
  • Resources
    • DIRECTORY
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ADVERTISE
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
August 16, 2017 02:00 AM

Harvard researchers advance self-healing polymer

European Rubber Journal
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    (Image courtesy of Peter and Ryan Allen/Harvard SEAS
    Self-healing rubber links permanent covalent bonds (red) with reversible hydrogen bonds (green).

    CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a type of polymer that is as tough as natural rubber but can also self-heal, the Harvard University school has reported.

    Among the uses envisioned by the researchers is in tires, where an inner liner with self-healing properties would be possible.

    In order to make a polymer self-healable, the team needed to make the bonds connecting the polymers reversible, so that the bonds could break and reform, the school explained.

    "Previous research used reversible hydrogen bonds to connect polymers to form a rubber but reversible bonds are intrinsically weaker than covalent bonds," said Li-Heng Cai, a postdoctoral fellow at SEAS. "This raised the question, can we make something tough but can still self-heal?"

    Mr. Cai, along with Jinrong Wu, a visiting professor from Sichuan University, China, and senior author David Weitz, Mallinckrodt professor of physics and applied physics, developed a hybrid rubber with both covalent and reversible bonds.

    The concept of mixing both covalent and reversible bonds to make a tough, self-healing rubber was proposed in theory by Mr. Cai but never shown experimentally because covalent and reversible bonds don't like to mix.

    "These two types of bonds are intrinsically immiscible, like oil and water," Mr. Cai said.

    The researchers developed a molecular "rope" of randomly branched polymers to tie these two types of bonds together: allowing two previously unmixable bonds to be mixed homogeneously on a molecular scale. This, SEAS said, enabled the creation of a transparent, tough, self-healing rubber.

    "Typical rubber tends to crack at certain stress point when force is applied," SEAS noted. "When stretched, hybrid rubber develops so-called crazes throughout the material, a feature similar to cracks but connected by fibrous strands.

    "These crazes redistribute the stress, so there is no localized point of stress that can cause catastrophic failure. When the stress is released, the material snaps back to its original form and the crazes heal."

    Harvard's office of technology development has filed a patent application for the technology and is seeking commercialization opportunities, SEAS said, adding that the self-healing ability is appealing for a wide variety of rubber products.

    "Imagine that we could use this material as one of the components to make a rubber tire," Mr. Wu said. "If you have a cut through the tire, this tire wouldn't have to be replaced right away. Instead, it would self-heal while driving enough to give you leeway to avoid dramatic damage."

    But there is still much more to do, Mr. Weitz said, who is also director of Harvard's materials research science and engineering center, co-director of the BASF Advanced Research Initiative, a member of the Kavli Institute for Bionano Science and Technology, and a core faculty member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.

    "For materials science, it is not fully understood why this hybrid rubber exhibits crazes when stretched," Mr. Weitz added. "For engineering, the applications of the hybrid rubber that take advantage of its exceptional combination of optical transparency, toughness, and self-healing ability remain to be explored."

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Newsletter Center

    Staying current is easy with Tire Business delivered straight to your inbox.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Subscribe to Tire Business

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Tire Business is an award-winning publication dedicated to providing the latest news, data and insights into the tire and automotive service industries.

    tb-logo
    Reader Services
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Site Map
    • Industry Sites
    • Order Reprints
    • Customer Service: 877-320-1716
    Partner Sites
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Automotive News
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Media Guide
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Classified Rates
    • List Rental
    • Digital Edition
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • OPINION
      • CORONAVIRUS
      • AUTO INDUSTRY
      • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • FACTORY FIXES
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • INTERNATIONAL
      • MOTOR SPORTS
      • NEW PRODUCTS
      • RETAIL TIRES
      • SERVICE ZONE
      • SEMA/AAPEX
      • SMALL BUSINESS
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • SHOP FLOOR
      • BALANCING
      • DEMOUNTING
      • SAFETY
      • TIRE REPAIR
      • TPMS
      • TRAINING
      • VEHICLE LIFTING
      • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Multimedia
      • VIDEOS
      • PHOTOS
      • PODCASTS
    • Events
      • ASK THE EXPERT
      • LIVESTREAMS
      • WEBINARS
      • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Resources
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION