Didier Snoeck, a researcher from the French-speaking university in Brussels (ULB) is developing a technology that allows materials to repair themselves.
The key to this groundbreaking research lies in the use of graphite and sulfur. Concretely, the material is heated, the graphite heats the sulfur, which turns liquid and then fills in any gaps. A self-repairing material could have solid benefits in the construction sector, according to Snoeck, who points out that it would lower maintenance costs and significantly extend the lifespan of buildings using this material.
Didier Snoeck is currently working on refining his technology and is dreaming big, seeing possibilities for his product to serve as a building block for space exploration. Think of the lunar surface, or Mars missions, very complex environments where repair is tricky for obvious reasons. For now, Earth is still the limit, but it’s fair to say that Snoeck has a potentially stellar product on his hands.
We weren’t about to let this story slip through the cracks.
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