Chrome bumpers made a quick exit from the automotive scene in the late 1980s. In their place are elaborate but flimsy plastic covers hiding stamped steel impact beams—with a swath of Styrofoam ...

Indestructible things are a figment of the imagination of advertising. Even plastic components that have to stand up to major mechanical loads can break. The reason for this are microcracks that may ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Forty years ago, plastic surpassed steel as the most widely used ...

A new genre of plastics that mimic the human skin’s ability to heal scratches and cuts offers the promise of endowing cell phones, laptops, cars and other products with self-repairing surfaces, ...

Researchers said they have found a way to create “self-repairing plastics” that can be used in smartphones, cars and other products and reduce the amount of waste now fouling the planet. Takuzo Aida, ...