You know that awful moment: The one when you’re getting ready, walking down the street, or fiddling around your office and all of a sudden, your favorite jacket snags on something and rips. Or the strap on your bag breaks. All you want to do is throw a tantrum because, well, it was your favorite. And now you have to replace it.
Yeah, those moments suck. But thanks to technology, they may soon be a thing of the past. The researchers at Penn State University have developed protein-based biopolymers that, when applied to textiles, can literally mend the material. Which, yes, would basically make them like new again.
The researchers were inspired to develop this coating technology to potentially help save lives. “Protective textile can be repaired if it tears in the field under various toxic conditions,” Melik Demirel, professor of engineering science and mechanics at Penn State University, told Allure. What toxic conditions? Farmers are regularly exposed to organophosphate pesticides, soldiers can suffer under chemical or biological attacks, and factory workers may need protection from the accidental release of toxic materials, according to a press release from Penn State University.
But the research is also applicable to the fashion industry. Demirel and his research team tested the coating technology on wools, cotton, linen, and polyester—fabrics that make up much of our daily wardrobe. And since only a thin film of coating needs to be applied, he says it shouldn't be noticeable in everyday wear. (However, Demirel adds, they have not performed comfortability tests.)
So how exactly does it work? It’s actually pretty simple, he says. All you do is take the ripped material (woven or non-woven textile), place it back together, and dip it “in a series of liquids to create layers of material to form a self-healing, polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer coating.” Using a safe solvent, like water, to house the coating makes it a safe and low-cost process, he adds. (Want to see it in action? Watch this video for a full walk-through:)
Although the coating is currently being used on garments that are already broken, Demirel says that it could also be used before manufacturing, coating the threads of the material in order to make it stronger in the first place. That way, if you were exposed to a toxic situation—like in the case of the farmers or factory workers—the clothing would have “self-healing properties [that could] degrade [any toxins] before it reaches the skin,” says Demirel.
Unfortunately, this technology isn’t available to the general public yet. Self-healing technology has been in the works since the '90s for materials beyond textile, according to Popular Science,. What that means for us: Self-healing smartphone screens, car bumpers, and maybe even airplanes.
These advances are just another step in the direction of developing bio- and nano-technologies that could make materials more sustainable. So fear not, friends, your favorite jacket may just stay in the closet a little longer one day.
Watch Rockets are Cool: Self-Healing Fabric a Reality
