
US-based scientists are developing a material for smartphone displays that repairs itself in case of damage. Image source: Shutterstock (#328596404)
Scientists at the University of California in Riverside have created a material that repairs itself. Using a forgiving chemical bond, a polar, stretchable polymer and an ionic salt are tightly linked to help the material pull itself together in the case of cuts and scratches. Although self-repairing is nothing entirely new, the team has made substantial progress as their material conducts electricity, which is necessary for smartphone screens to recognize touch.
Before smartphones will make use of the innovation in, predictably, 2020, the team is making the product ready for real-world applications such as high humidity.
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