China, US develop “self-healing” rubber

Lately, Sichuan University and Harvard University jointly developed “self-healing” rubber.

Such rubber is as strong as natural rubber and is capable of repairing damages by itself.

A researcher said the molecule of ordinary rubber is connected by covalent bond, which is of high strength but cannot resume when they are broken.

Scientists had developed self-healing rubber, with its molecule connected by hydrogen bond, which is capable of resuming after broken, but cannot resume its strength.

Somebody believes that combining covalent bond with hydrogen bond might be able to create strong rubber with self-healing capacity.

Through unremitting efforts, researchers successfully bound covalent bond and hydrogen bond together at the molecular scale.

The technology is of broad potential for practical application. If it is applied in tire manufacturing, the safety risks will be lower.