News: A Materials Science Development

[clsage]

Some news from the University of IL: Urbana-Champaign that has, IMNSVHO, some plot potential (both here and in other genres):

 

http://scitechdaily.com/illinois-researchers-develop-synthetic-materials-self-repair/

 

And the paper in question:

 

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/344/6184/620

 

-Carl-

[BlueCloud2k2]

Sweet! This would be a huge benefit for repairing micrometeorite impacts.

 

I wonder how fast it works?

[Rails]

Sweet! This would be a huge benefit for repairing micrometeorite impacts.

 

I wonder how fast it works?

From the abstract of the paper:

"Through the control of reaction kinetics and vascular delivery rate, we filled impacted regions that exceed 35 mm in diameter within 20 min and restored mechanical function within 3 hours. After restoration of impact damage, 62% of the total absorbed energy was recovered in comparison with that in initial impact tests."

[BlueCloud2k2]

Okay so not so good for patching a Ship's hull at this time, but possibly in the near future.

 

Still very cool stuff.

[Rails]

I'd settle for it to be incorporated into car windshields, myself.  Having chips and cracks heal themselves instead of having to have the windshield replaced would be nice.

[BlueCloud2k2]

Having once had to replace a car windshield because the covering tarp blew off of a dump truck hauling gravel I agree with that.

[clsage]

Just had a thought, and since my copy of 5th Ed is not at hand I'll throw it out here:

 

If something like this were to be used as a form of 'regenerating shields versus physical attacks' in a near future-ish scenario, what sort of cost modifier would you give for it, given the (as described in the original paper) long recycle time?

 

 

-Carl-

[BlueCloud2k2]

Either Ablative Armor with a reduction in the Ablative Disadvantage relating to the time chart or Extra BODY with Regeneration.

[BlueCloud2k2]

Oh look, my copy of 5th Ed Revised.

Okay, so Ablative adds and Activation Roll when the BODY or STUN (depending upon the type of attack) Exceeds the DEF of the Power. The activation Roll starts at 15- and counts down each time. Another Option is to reduce the DEF Power by 5 Active Points each time.

That's another way of saying the power takes roughly 2d6 Drain each time damage exceeds the DEF amount, almost like a side effect. One could argue the power is "Used" whenever the wielder is hit, which would technically fall under side effect.

The Standard Effect Rule for 1d6 of Drain would be 3 points, which would translate at 1 rPD and 1 rED. At a delayed rate of return (say, 5 points per 5 minutes) that would be one point rPD and rED every 3 minutes). Which would be 15 Active Points of Side Effect, which is a -1/4 limitation.

I would build the power as:

48 Bio-Regenerative Armor Plating Armor 20 PD, 20 ED; Resistant (+1/2) (60 Active Points); Side Effect (Power loses 1 rPD and 1 rED each time BODY damage exceeds either PD or ED, Defense heal back at a rate of 1 point rPD and rED every three minutes; -1/4) (48 real cost).

 

This would mean the armor would fully heal itself in an hour.

 

Edit: That was a fun little intellectual exercise.

Edited May 11, 2014 by BlueCloud2k2

[Christopher]

I'd settle for it to be incorporated into car windshields, myself.  Having chips and cracks heal themselves instead of having to have the windshield replaced would be nice.

We in germany have a Firm (Carglass) that advertises (on Radio) with being able to repair minor damage in windshields without having to replace it (and having experience with replacement, if that fails). A short serach and I figured out they are working Internationally:

http://www.carglass.com/

 

Some news from the University of IL: Urbana-Champaign that has, IMNSVHO, some plot potential (both here and in other genres):

 

http://scitechdaily.com/illinois-researchers-develop-synthetic-materials-self-repair/

 

And the paper in question:

 

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/344/6184/620

 

-Carl-

Interesting.

 

I heard about Concrete with limited self-healing ability a few yeras ago. Small droplets of Raw Material and Bacteria are put into it. If they come in contact with water (like from a small crack), they get active and fill the small hole.

While that does not sounds like much, for concerete small cracks tend to become large cracks quickly (wich are a expensive to repair). And while it does increase the concerte cost by about 50%, concrete is a really low cost factor (only about 2%) in the first place.

But that was on a lot smaller scale (regarding the holes it can fix) then what was developed now.

Edit: Also see http://www.ugent.be/ea/structural-engineering/en/research/magnel/research/research3/selfhealing

 

Okay so not so good for patching a Ship's hull at this time, but possibly in the near future.

 

Still very cool stuff.

You would still have to put a patch over it to keep the air from leaking. But once you did that, it could self-heal from there. So the patch does not need to be quite as robust as it used to be.

It would certainly cut down on the need to replace stuff that is hard/expensive to replace. Once this is fully developed.