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Smart Rubber Promises Self-Mending Products

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the we've-heard-it-all-before dept.

An anonymous reader writes "French scientists have developed a new rubber that can heal itself after being cut or broken. If two broken ends of the material are pushed together, and left for an hour, they join to become just as stretchy as before. There is even a video of the supposed creation in action. 'Regular rubber gets its strength from the fact that long chains of polymer molecules are coupled, or "crosslinked," in three different ways: through covalent, ionic, and hydrogen bonding between molecules. Of these three bond types, only the hydrogen bonds can be remade once a material is fractured, although normally there are not enough hydrogen bonds for the rubber to re-couple in this way. The solution devised by Leibler and colleagues is to simply get rid of the ionic and covalent bonds. They developed a transparent, yellowy-brown rubber in which crosslinking is performed only by hydrogen bonds.'"

34 of 122 comments (clear)

  1. Odd by geek · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Wouldn't removing the other two types of bonds make it naturally more likely to break to begin with? My chem background isnt great, maybe someone could break it down for me.

    1. Re:Odd by NoData · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yes.

      The article mentions that this rubber is weaker than most to begin with for just that reason.

    2. Re:Odd by quanminoan · · Score: 2, Interesting
      From TFA:

      The downside is that getting rid of covalent and ionic bonding means the material is weaker than regular rubber.

      Regular polymers can be made very strong from covalent bonds (polycarbonates, polysulfones). Making a very strong polymer requires quite a lot of covalent bonds, and creates a very strong material that lacks tensile strength. The problem with almost all polymers in engineering applications is two things: creep and degradation. The "creep" part is when the polymer chains, loaded with some force, start to slip and rearrange themselves. This has to be taken into account in many applications, unless you're designing commodity applications such as trash bags, etc. The degradation problem is also largely unavoidable and occurs when these bonds are broken, whether it be from radiation (sunlight, UV, etc.), chemical attack (acids, ozone..). This material lacks these susceptible bonds creating a material that is much weaker, but also much more reliable in the long run. TFA states some potential applications:

      The material could eventually make it a cinch to repair holes in shoes, snapped fan belts and punctured kitchen gloves. It might also make strange new products possible - for instance bags that can be ripped open and then resealed. "You don't need a zip when you can make a resealable hole in it," Leibler says.

    3. Re:Odd by ShieldW0lf · · Score: 5, Funny

      This is so stupid.

      Even if you did have a rubber that repaired itself, it still wouldn't really be sanitary to use it.

      --
      -1 Uncomfortable Truth
    4. Re:Odd by palegray.net · · Score: 3, Funny

      Might be a good defense against a girlfriend or wife who decides to go poking pinholes in your rubbers, though... ;)

      --
      512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
    5. Re:Odd by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      If I understand the article correctly, this substance is actually quite sensible!

  2. Finally Recycling For The Common Man by milsoRgen · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can finally join the green revolution by reusing all those busted condoms from my over zealous love making sessions.

    --
    I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask where they're goin' and hook up with 'em later.
  3. WhatEVER by TobyRush · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah, and Smart Rubber also promised it'd return my Criminal Minds Season 2 DVDs and stop eating all the Grape Nuts. And we know how well THAT panned out...

    --
    Sam! If you will let me be,
    I will try them.
    You will see.
  4. It's The Shit by nick_davison · · Score: 5, Funny

    The material is synthesised from fatty acids and urea. And if this isn't an argument why adding fiber to your diet is important, nothing'll convince you.
  5. I'm skeptical, yet hopeful... by Will+the+Chill · · Score: 4, Interesting

    because if you watch the video they double the speed of the post-healing stretch, and it's still _really_ slow. With only the video to go on, it seems like this could just as easily be some silly putty or elmers glue + liquid starch.

    Of course, if it's true that you can create self-healing rubber by removing the ionic and covalent bonds, leaving only the hydrogen bonds, my next question is obvious:

    How many times can this material "heal" itself before suffering internal structure deficiencies?

    If it could mend itself an infinite number of times and retain perfect structural integrity, that would truly be a modern miracle of science with untold practical applications.

    Can you say self-mending tires, shoe soles, etc?

    -WtC

    *sig inserted by hand to frustrate sig purists*

    --
    Creator of RPerl, Scouter, Juggler, Mormon, Perl Monger, Serial Entrepreneur, Aspiring Astrophysicist, Community Organiz
    1. Re:I'm skeptical, yet hopeful... by evanbd · · Score: 2, Insightful

      My guess would be "lots" since the H bonds don't "wear out". Normal polymers wear out by occasionally having covalent bonds break, which then don't repair.

      On the flip side, this probably exhibits "cold flow" -- if you put it under tension, it will slowly and permanently deform. Over short time spans, it will be elastic, over long spans it will deform. For many applications that won't matter, but for some it will make it completely unusable.

  6. Not necessarily by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 3, Insightful
    A diamond only has C bonds.

    It isn't just the number of bonds but the strength of those bonds.

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.
  7. Funny... by raving+griff · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...because recently, for a school project, I needed to find some print sources of chemistry in the news. All I had on-hand was an issue of Popular Science, and it had an article on this invention. The catch? The issue was from 2001.

  8. This is /. by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 5, Funny

    You've been misinformed. You don't need a condom for masturbation.

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.
    1. Re:This is /. by milsoRgen · · Score: 5, Funny

      You've been misinformed. You don't need a condom for masturbation. Don't underestimate the energy savings from not having to constantly wash your tube socks.
      --
      I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask where they're goin' and hook up with 'em later.
  9. Cindy will be so happy! by urcreepyneighbor · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cindy, my air-filled life companion, will be relieved to hear of this development.

    We have been plagued by punctures and tears for years. Neither of us have been satisfied with the make-do fix of duct tape and latex.

    Thank you, science!

    --
    "The fight for freedom has only just begun." - Geert Wilders
  10. Re:No more condom breakage. by RingDev · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't think I can think about baseball for an hour while it repairs itself though...

    -Rick

    --
    "Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
  11. This is madness. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    This time so-called "scientific progress" has gone too far. This shameless disregard for ionic and covalent bonds is unnatural and degrading to us all. Ionic and covalent bonds play a crucial role in vital processes of nature. They are found everywhere, from humble table salt, to the very carbon rings that are the basis of all life.

    And now arrogant man sees fit to sacrifice these noble bonds for what, I ask? For a "self-healing rubber" of all things? This is a travesty. I hope all people who love and cherish our universe and the laws of nature will boycott this abominable substance.

  12. Re:Rubber by gnick · · Score: 2, Funny

    Buy a pack of six and rotate my man! I think it may spoil the mood when you tell your partner, "Hold on, baby, I just need to get something out of my used-condom drawer."
    --
    He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
  13. Yes necessarily by NoData · · Score: 2, Informative

    Carbon-carbon bonds are highly covalent and exceptionally strong. Ionic bonds are weaker and hydrogen bonds are weaker still. So, yes, necessarily this rubber is weaker. It's not the fact that it has less variety of bonding, it's the fact the sort of bonding it's left with is weak (comparatively).

    1. Re:Yes necessarily by blair1q · · Score: 3, Informative

      No primordial soup for you.

      In general, ionic bonds (i.e., bonds with high ionic character) are stronger than covalent bonds (i.e., bonds with low or no ionic character), simply because they are in fact the same thing, except that a difference in electron affinity causes a dipole moment to be generated, which adds electrical potential to quantum potential of the bond.

      The larger the difference in electronegativity (or electron affinity, however you want to measure it), and the shorter the internuclear distance, the stronger the ionic force of the bond.

      It just so happens that the quantum effect in a carbon-carbon bond is pretty strong in the first place, so there aren't many bonds, even those high in ionic character, that are stronger (although N-N is nearly twice as strong, iirc)

      Putting ions in a position to have to share their ionic attraction among more atoms than they have valence electrons weakens their bonds, so there aren't many ionic substances that have nearly as strong a structure in crystal lattices.

      The strength of diamong is due to the fact that (1) C-C is a fairly strong bond and (2) of the valence-4 atoms, which allow for the least disruptive crystal structure, C-C has the strongest bonds. It's that combination of no bending and strong bonds that makes diamond hard. Though there are far harder substances.

      This being chemistry, someone will of course find counterexamples. It's pretty amazing how so few rules for atoms can produce so many intricate variations in behavior once you get atoms close together.

  14. Roads by ewg · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Please tell me there's some way to incorporate this material into roadways that don't develop potholes. I'm tired of paying for them--in wear and tear on my car and in taxes.

    --
    org.slashdot.post.SignatureNotFoundException: ewg
    1. Re:Roads by youthoftoday · · Score: 5, Funny

      There's some way to incorporate this material into roadways that don't develop potholes. You're tired of paying for them--in wear and tear on your car and in taxes.

      --
      -1 not first post
  15. What's your name, Sir? by microbee · · Score: 4, Funny

    Bond, Hydrogen Bond.

  16. Oy by The+End+Of+Days · · Score: 5, Funny

    So many condom jokes, so little actual sex...

  17. Re:Rubber by st1d · · Score: 2, Funny

    Amateurs! Just stick 'em to the wall or headboard when you're done. Then you don't even need to break the mood while you grab one. And nothing turns a woman on more than a row of used condoms flapping against her face during the act. Especially the ones that have been used enough that there's a distinct "thump" from dried remnants of past occasions. Nothing says you care about your lovers more than having them labeled and arranged in alphabetical order by name, either.

    Of course, this is Slashdot, so maybe putting your own name on them might make you look a little egotistic! :)

    --
    Microsoft has just released their much anticipated hands-free cordless mouse. Warning, it may hurt a little at first.
  18. Re:No more condom breakage. by st1d · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is /. Static partners aren't a problem.

    --
    Microsoft has just released their much anticipated hands-free cordless mouse. Warning, it may hurt a little at first.
  19. Tires by Jon+Abbott · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Finally, we will all have tires that are invincible! This will be especially useful for road bike tires, which get sliced up rather easily compared to automobile tires...

    --
    Slashdot's first reaction to VMware
  20. I want an engineering sample. by iansmith · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You would need to put some sort of skin over this to keep it from self-reparing in ways it wasn't meant to. If you accidently fold a sheet of this stuff it would adhere to itself. And you though trying to work with plastic wrap without getting it all stuck together was hard.

    I bet it would be fun to sculpt with. Cut bits off, stick them back in in other places.. would be a really strange medium to work in.

    Or the ultimate version of those pads to stick your cell phone to your dashboard. Except now it will NEVER come off until you slice it off with a razor.

  21. Re:Odd Then don't bed such people, OR... by insertwackynamehere · · Score: 4, Informative

    I know you are joking but just to be clear, using oil based lubricants and/or using multiple condoms will increase the risk of condoms breaking during sex.

  22. What happens when it gets wet? by Guppy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm curious if the material material still works in wet or humid conditions. Since water forms a strong hydrogen bond, I'm wondering if having H2O present in the interface of two pieces will "cap" the polymer's bonds and slow or disrupt the self-repair.

    In addition, I'm also wondering how permeable the material is to water or water vapor, and if there is any swelling when exposed.

  23. The fetishwear potential of this stuff by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... is mind-boggling.

    --
    Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
  24. nothing new here... move along. by silicone_chemist · · Score: 2, Informative

    Self fusing rubber compounds are nothing new. Arlon's Silicone Technologies Division http://www.arlon-std.com/ has been extruding self fusing (healing if you prefer) tapes http://www.arlon-std.com/Products/tape.htm made from silicone rubber for a long time. Other companies do as well. The tapes are primarily used for electrical insulation applications. They are fully crosslinked but when brought into contact they fuse (or heal) into a homogeneous mass. EPDM varieties are available as well. These researches have taken a different approach. Perhaps good, perhaps not. By removing the chemical crosslinks and opting for only hydrogen bonding the material is going to be inferior in many ways; tensile strength, elongation, durometer, abrasion resistance, creep resistance, etc.

  25. Re:Odd Then don't bed such people, OR... by Eddy+Luten · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now I know: it only takes one slashdotter to take the fun out of sex.