The same material that makes golf balls tough may soon make bullet holes vanish in 'self-healing' aircraft fuel tanks," says New Scientist.Recently, US [Navy] scientists discovered that a commercially sold polymer - used to coat bowling pins, helmets, and golf balls - displays a curious property when shot at: it can immediately "pave over" the bullet holes.
Now, a team led by Christopher Coughlin, a materials engineer at the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Maryland, is trying to understand why the polymer self-heals. He hopes one day it can be used to help aircraft fuel tanks recover quickly from enemy fire.
The same material that makes golf balls tough may soon make bullet holes vanish in 'self-healing' aircraft fuel tanks," says New Scientist.
Recently, US [Navy] scientists discovered that a commercially sold polymer - used to coat bowling pins, helmets, and golf balls - displays a curious property when shot at: it can immediately "pave over" the bullet holes.
Now, a team led by Christopher Coughlin, a materials engineer at the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Maryland, is trying to understand why the polymer self-heals. He hopes one day it can be used to help aircraft fuel tanks recover quickly from enemy fire.