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The slightest alteration in the way materials are manufactured can lead to enormous benefits, and it’s partly with this in mind that people at universities around the world are seeking to change the products around us.


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THE COMBINATION of two or more materials to enhance properties like strength and durability is nothing new, but technology is continually taking research into these combinations – or composites – to new and exciting areas. Tennis rackets, aeroplane wings and


wind turbines are all examples of products that have superior strength due to the combination of materials. One important area of composite


research looks at materials that can repair themselves – or self heal – when scratched, cracked or broken, rather than relying on human intervention. Engineers have long looked to the


human skin’s ability to heal itself, with small abrasions and cuts healing within days, and even more serious wounds often able to heal completely, perhaps with just slight scarring the only reminder. Te messy and time-consuming process of mending a man-made material, patching up a puncture on a bicycle tyre for example, would be made obsolete if the manufacture of self-repairing tyres were possible. Current self-healing hot topics


include Highway A58, the first self-healing


road surface, and concrete that self-heals using bacteria. When water gets into the cracks in


concrete, the aggressive chemicals it carries can start a destructive process that ends in either time-consuming repair or expensive replacement. However, much as living bone can heal its own hairline fractures, concrete could soon include bacteria that become active when mixed with water – meaning cracks and small holes could self heal – thus preventing problems further down the line. Dr Richard Trask, lecturer in the


Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol: “A broad spectrum of industries, both in the UK and around the world, will be impacted by the developments underway, including aerospace, automotive, microelectronics, architecture, civil infrastructure and everyday consumer items.” Te partnership between the University


of Bristol and internationally recognised engineering firms looks set to boost the West’s already enviable engineering pedigree, with members of the University a vital part of this.


• bristol.ac.uk


THE BRISTOL AND BATH SCIENCE PARK The importance of research into composites led to the 2011 opening of the National Composite Centre (NCC) as part of the new Bristol and Bath Science Park. The NCC, and Science Park in general, will be a massive boost to science and engineering in the West, and will work in partnership with companies as well known as GKN Aerospace, Airbus, AgustaWestland, Rolls-Royce, Umeco and Vestas. The centre will combine business and


academic strength to speed progress from research in the laboratory to design, then manufacture and finally into the products that we use every day.


Illustration: iStock


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