Surfaces with self-healing properties

 
Self-healing materials attracted great interest in recent years as they possess the ability to self-repair either without manual intervention or with the application of an external stimulus (e.g.: temperature, UV irradiation). The advantages of these materials are focused on longer life span, higher economic efficiency, and less waste generation. Coatings for automotive applications with self-healing properties are scarce or even inexistent. In this work, the functionalization of materials that could be applied in car interiors - PU and PVC - are being studied to achieve self-healing properties. The self-healing functionality is evaluated and characterized by surface microscopic analysis after a forced scalpel cut. Preliminary results show regeneration of the performed cut on the surface of the functionalized polymer after a few minutes under a thermal stimulus, leaving only an almost imperceptible scar. Wettability tests also show that wetting properties hold after the cut. This work was developed in the framework of the "PAC - Portugal AutoCluster for the Future" Project, which was co-financed by PORTUGAL 2020, under COMPETE 2020 and LISBOA2020, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).