The smart type of plastic, which automatically knits together when cracked or broken, could one day be used to make artificial organs.

The material contains microcapsules filled with a special healing agent.

Like human skin, it bleeds and heals itself, offering a potential breakthrough in vital materials used in surgical implants. It could also prove useful for making rocket and spacecraft components, which cannot be repaired once they are in use.

Wear and tear

Plastics are normally susceptible to cracking caused by vibration, bending, and heat. Often the damage is deep within a structure, where it is difficult to detect and repair.

But in fracture tests, the new self-healing plastic regained 75% of its original strength.