A team of Dutch scientists working for the Eindhoven University of Technology has created a new type of protective coating that can heal itself when scratched.
The new protective coating should find use in various electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets as well as in cars, boats, ships, airplanes, frying pans and other equipment that may get easily scratched.
The invention consists of three layers of polymers that are applied on top of each other. The top layer repels water, while the middle layer consists of polymer “stalks”. The last low-level layer acts as a reservoir for the active ingredient in the coating. When the first layer gets scratched the active component goes up the “stalks” and heals the top layer, returning the coating to its former glory.
Right now the technology is still in the laboratory and it will surely need at least a few more years to get to the market – but still the invention is great news for all people dependent on various gadgets such as smartphones and the like – and we all know they are very easy to scratch much to our disappointment and dismay.
Source: Extremetech.com