Livescience.com writes:
"A team of researchers at the University of Illinois have used a technique create a polymer-based system that heals itself. An epoxy-resin base is infused with a network of interconnected channels about 200 microns in diameter. The channels are filled with low viscosity healing agent - just like your blood vessels carry healing material to cuts in your skin. This "vascularized" substrate has a solid epoxy layer deposited on top of it. A catalyst is incorporated in this solid coating.
When the coating layer is damaged, healing agent wicks from the channels through capillary action.
"Once in the crack plane the healing agent interacts with the catalyst particles in the coating to initiate polymerisation, rebonding the crack faces autonomically. After a sufficient time period the cracks are healed and the structural integrity of the coating restored. As cracks reopen under subsequent loading the healing cycle is repeated."
The idea of a "self-healing" surface is part of a larger set of ideas called "autonomous materials systems." The intent is to develop materials that can respond to their environment without additional attention from human beings. This idea has wide application not only here on Earth, but in space as well."
check out the full article at:
http://www.livescience.com/technology/070618_skin_polymer.html