Scientists witness metal healing itself

Scientists at Texas A&M University have made a groundbreaking discovery involving a metal that can heal itself after damage.

While conducting experiments with a 40-nanometer-thick piece of platinum inside a vacuum, the team observed under an electron microscope that the material is capable of self-healing.‌‌

This astonishing phenomenon marks the first time a piece of metal has been observed cracking and fusing back together on its own. This discovery is of great importance to various industries where materials are subjected to stress and wear over time, resulting in microscopic cracks and subsequent failure.

The process responsible for the metal's self-healing ability is thought to be "crack flank cold welding." However, scientists admit that much remains to be understood, including whether this phenomenon can be induced in conventional metals in air, not just in the specific conditions of their experiment.

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