‘Terminator’ polymer – hasta la vista to tyre damage?

The London-based Royal Society of Chemistry writes that scientists in Spain have reported the first self-healing polymer that spontaneously repairs itself without any intervention. Although the material – dubbed the ‘Terminator’ after the shape-shifting terminator seen in the franchise’s second film – is some time away from commercial release, it may be suited to a wide array of applications, including in tyres.

The Terminator polymer developed by the research team at CIDETEC Centre for Electrochemical Technologies in San Sebastian is the first self-healing polymer produced; the Royal Society of Chemistry explains that it “behaves as a Velcro-like sealant or adhesive, displaying an impressive 97 per cent healing efficiency in just two hours.” 

A video shows that after cutting the polymer into two separate pieces with a razor blade and allowing it to self-heal, the material is unbreakable when stretched manually.