Self-healing fiber-reinforced composite metallic material utilizing melting–solidification and capillary action

By imparting self-healing capabilities to metallic materials, various benefits such as extending system lifespan and reducing maintenance frequency can be achieved. However, in solid metals, the atomic mobility is inherently low and diffusion rates are limited, making intrinsic self-healing extremel...

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Main Authors: Shota Miyake, Shunsuke Nagahama, Shigeki Sugano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Journal of Materials Research and Technology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425019775
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author Shota Miyake
Shunsuke Nagahama
Shigeki Sugano
author_facet Shota Miyake
Shunsuke Nagahama
Shigeki Sugano
author_sort Shota Miyake
collection DOAJ
description By imparting self-healing capabilities to metallic materials, various benefits such as extending system lifespan and reducing maintenance frequency can be achieved. However, in solid metals, the atomic mobility is inherently low and diffusion rates are limited, making intrinsic self-healing extremely challenging. In this study, we applied the melting-solidification phenomenon to enable atomic mobility and regenerate metallic bonds at crack sites. Additionally, we leveraged capillary action to maintain the shape of the liquid metal during self-healing, thereby enabling the development of a novel self-healing metallic material. The proposed material is a composite consisting of a low-melting-point (LMP) metal with self-healing properties and a braided wire structure composed of metallic strands that retain the LMP metal through capillary action. This composite not only exhibits self-healing capabilities but also features fiber reinforcement owing to its structural design, which addresses the inherent strength limitations of LMP metals. The performance of the proposed material was evaluated through experiments focusing on self-healing and fiber reinforcement. The results demonstrated that the material recovered up to 94.6 % of its maximum strength after self-healing. Furthermore, fiber reinforcement achieved a strength two-times greater than that of the LMP metal alone. These findings suggest that the proposed composite material effectively realizes the benefits of self-healing and enhanced mechanical strength, offering significant potential for practical applications in environments requiring robust and reliable materials.
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publishDate 2025-09-01
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series Journal of Materials Research and Technology
spelling doaj-art-c1ba08b86e0249c6877f02ded2d23e232025-08-20T05:06:59ZengElsevierJournal of Materials Research and Technology2238-78542025-09-01382480248710.1016/j.jmrt.2025.08.024Self-healing fiber-reinforced composite metallic material utilizing melting–solidification and capillary actionShota Miyake0Shunsuke Nagahama1Shigeki Sugano2Department of Modern Mechanical Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1, Okubo, Shinjukuku, Tokyo, 169-8555, Japan; Corresponding author.Nagamori Institute of Actuators, Kyoto University of Advanced Science, 1-1 Nanjo-Oyama, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8220, JapanDepartment of Modern Mechanical Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1, Okubo, Shinjukuku, Tokyo, 169-8555, JapanBy imparting self-healing capabilities to metallic materials, various benefits such as extending system lifespan and reducing maintenance frequency can be achieved. However, in solid metals, the atomic mobility is inherently low and diffusion rates are limited, making intrinsic self-healing extremely challenging. In this study, we applied the melting-solidification phenomenon to enable atomic mobility and regenerate metallic bonds at crack sites. Additionally, we leveraged capillary action to maintain the shape of the liquid metal during self-healing, thereby enabling the development of a novel self-healing metallic material. The proposed material is a composite consisting of a low-melting-point (LMP) metal with self-healing properties and a braided wire structure composed of metallic strands that retain the LMP metal through capillary action. This composite not only exhibits self-healing capabilities but also features fiber reinforcement owing to its structural design, which addresses the inherent strength limitations of LMP metals. The performance of the proposed material was evaluated through experiments focusing on self-healing and fiber reinforcement. The results demonstrated that the material recovered up to 94.6 % of its maximum strength after self-healing. Furthermore, fiber reinforcement achieved a strength two-times greater than that of the LMP metal alone. These findings suggest that the proposed composite material effectively realizes the benefits of self-healing and enhanced mechanical strength, offering significant potential for practical applications in environments requiring robust and reliable materials.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425019775Self-healingComposite metalMelting–solidificationCapillary action
spellingShingle Shota Miyake
Shunsuke Nagahama
Shigeki Sugano
Self-healing fiber-reinforced composite metallic material utilizing melting–solidification and capillary action
Journal of Materials Research and Technology
Self-healing
Composite metal
Melting–solidification
Capillary action
title Self-healing fiber-reinforced composite metallic material utilizing melting–solidification and capillary action
title_full Self-healing fiber-reinforced composite metallic material utilizing melting–solidification and capillary action
title_fullStr Self-healing fiber-reinforced composite metallic material utilizing melting–solidification and capillary action
title_full_unstemmed Self-healing fiber-reinforced composite metallic material utilizing melting–solidification and capillary action
title_short Self-healing fiber-reinforced composite metallic material utilizing melting–solidification and capillary action
title_sort self healing fiber reinforced composite metallic material utilizing melting solidification and capillary action
topic Self-healing
Composite metal
Melting–solidification
Capillary action
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425019775
work_keys_str_mv AT shotamiyake selfhealingfiberreinforcedcompositemetallicmaterialutilizingmeltingsolidificationandcapillaryaction
AT shunsukenagahama selfhealingfiberreinforcedcompositemetallicmaterialutilizingmeltingsolidificationandcapillaryaction
AT shigekisugano selfhealingfiberreinforcedcompositemetallicmaterialutilizingmeltingsolidificationandcapillaryaction