American researchers from the University of California recently made a remarkable discovery that puts the future of smartphones in an extremely good light. More precisely, they developed a polymer that repairs itself even if scratches, cuts, or cracks appear on its surface, making it perfect for a smartphone screen.
This polymer is able to conduct electricity, so it could be used for a touch screen, its self-repair capabilities being remarkable, according to the researchers. This material is made of a polymer that has elastic capacities, but also of ionic salt, the attraction between ions and molecules making it possible to repair it over time.
The material can stretch up to 50 times more than its normal size, but if it tears or breaks, it can be "glued" back together without problems. The repair in case of breakage is probably the most impressive novelty, this allows the gluing of broken pieces of a screen that comes into contact with a hard surface.
Although the idea of having a smartphone whose screen has such characteristics is great for many, the reality is that it will be a long time before it is released. It is not known when the researchers could complete this material, but it is hoped that by 2020 it could also be available in a commercial version for producers.
What do you think about him?
"The material, which can stretch to 50 times its original size, is made of a stretchable polymer and an ionic salt. It features a special type of bond called an ion-dipole interaction, which is a force between charged ions and polar molecules. This means that when the material breaks or has a scratch, the ions and molecules attract to each other to heal the material."
