Self-healing metal is still just science fiction, right? Metal fatigue can cause catastrophic failures in areas including aviation - jet engines, for instance - and infrastructure - bridges and other structures. It occurs at the nanoscale, and we have yet to be able to control the process," Boyce added. Scientists in the past have fashioned some self-healing materials, mostly plastics. Study co-author Michael Demkowicz, a Texas A&M University professor of materials science and engineering, predicted self-healing in metal a decade ago.

---

Persons: Ryan Schoell, Khalid Hattar, Dan Bufford, Chris Barr, Craig ., Read, Brad Boyce, Boyce, Michael Demkowicz, Demkowicz, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: government's Sandia National Laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories, M University, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, WASHINGTON, Texas