German research institute makes self-healing car paint out of corn
A few days ago, the Leibniz Institute for New Materials in Germany announced that it has developed a corn-based paint. This new corn-based paint is expected to fill scratches and swirl marks. Marks usually damage the clear finish of the outer layer of the paint, whereas corn-based paints can be heated to form a flexible coating.
These corn-based paints are mainly derived from cornstarch, and the paints have what scientists call "nanomolecular" properties, which contain cyclodextrin molecules.
Molecules can be threaded on the polymer chain, which allows the cyclodextrin to move freely on this chain. At the same time, they are not shed due to the presence of other molecules. The self-healing abilities of cyclodextrins come from the fact that they cross-link with each other and become active through chemical reactions.
It needs to be done at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, though, since all the molecules that need to work are heat. Currently, scientists are able to reduce the repair time to a minute, compared to hours at lower temperatures for the molecules to move.
However, the German company is not the first to break into the "self-healing paint" space. Last year, an Illinois-based company called Fernlab announced a self-healing paint.
It's also formulated to work on painted surfaces, filling in scratches if something breaks the coat's bond. There is no word on how much the German institute plans to charge for the lacquer, but it is working hard to find partners to commercialize its technology. Meanwhile, Fein's lab's process costs about $2,500 (about 16,800 yuan).
