Self-healing materials inspired by plants
(PHYSorg.com Chemistry)

Scientists at EPFL`s Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites (LPAC) and the University of Freiburg`s Botanical Garden have studied how the flax plant heals itself after it has been wounded. As part of a cross-disciplinary EU research project, they measured changes in the plant`s mechanical properties, like stiffness and damping, and examined the plant`s self-repair mechanisms. Because natural fibers are being increasingly used to make composite materials, understanding how such mechanisms work can help scientists develop self-healing materials with better performance, drawing on methods inspired by nature.