When a pipe bursts, you may eventually be able to hold the pieces together and watch them fuse. That could be one of the practical uses for the self-healing polymer discovered by researchers at the CIDETEC Centre for Electrochemical Technologies in San Sebastian, Spain.

Synthetic polymers are found in all kinds of materials, which is, the researchers said, what makes their discovery so appealing. Natural polymers are also found everywhere, such as in skin. The difference is that synthetic ones hadn't been able to repair damaged cross-linking bonds that once held the material together — at least, not without some assistance. Now, much like skin after a cut, they can.

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Nicknamed the 'Terminator' because it regenerates in much the same way the robots in the Schwarzenegger-helmed film did, this polymer has the potential to lengthen the life of everything from tires to toothbrushes. The researchers took a cylinder made from the polymer, sliced it in half, and put the ends back together. Within an hour, it had begun to heal. Within two, 97% of the cylinder had regenerated. Twenty hours after that, it was back to normal. The researchers tried to pull the cylinder apart, but couldn't, indicating it was as strong as its original form.

This self-healing polymer is the first to work without a catalyst. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University developed one that could touch up scratches on your car, but it needed UV light to do it. Then, researchers at Stanford University discovered a polymer that healed in much the same way this new one does. With the new polymer, however, the broken halves simply have to be placed next to each other, whereas with Stanford's version, the researchers needed to apply pressure to both parts to start the regeneration process.

What do you see as some practical uses for this polymer? Check out the video above to learn more and let us know in the comments.

Image: Wikimedia Commons