Mercer researchers design coating material with self-healing properties

A discovery by a Mercer University (den.mercer.edu) research team could have great potential for the aerospace industry in the future.

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Mechanical engineering professor Dr Alireza Sarvestani and a team of students have designed a novel polymeric material that can withstand extreme weathering conditions and is capable of self-healing, notes a press communique from Andrea Honaker, digital content specialist at Mercer.

Polymers are materials formed by large molecules. Dr Sarvestani said his experimental studies for this project began two years ago with a grant from an out-ofstate laboratory that specializes in the study of thermoplastic polyurethane, which is a rubber-like polymer with high resilience and long durability. He conducted research on site there the past two summers, and the lab continues to support his work.

Darren Pickren, now a Mercer alumnus, focused his master's thesis on the project during the 2020-21 academic year, and recent graduate Gabriel Brito and students Daniel Krashin and Cass Conrad picked up where he left off for the 2021-22 year.

During the past year, Dr Sarvestani and his team did extensive testing and data analysis on thermoplastic polymers, which melt at increased temperatures and solidify upon cooling. They reinforced the polymers with various fillers, with the goal of creating unique properties that would improve the material, said Krashin, a rising senior majoring in electrical engineering.