There are few things worse than somebody accidentally — or deliberately — scratching your car’s paint, but scientists in South Korea say that it will likely become a thing of the past.
According to study results that were published in the journal ACS Applied Polymer Materials, researchers at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology have created a spray-on coating that can heal itself when exposed to the rays of the sun.
The process is technical, but the coating, a new kind of photothermal dye, basically sees its internal structure rearrange on a molecular level when exposed to the sun’s heat. Scratches automatically fill and the color underneath is restored good as new — meaning your scratched ride could someday repair itself even before you know it had been dinged.
What’s more, the scientists say the protective coating, since it’s clear, can be deployed on many different products, from shipping containers to cellphones — and it’s much greener than having to take your car to MAACO for a repaint.