Researchers at Imperial College London have developed a revolutionary self-healing composite material that can autonomously repair micro-fractures in aircraft structures, potentially transforming safety standards and maintenance economics across the aerospace industry.

The material contains embedded microcapsules of liquid polymer that rupture when a crack forms, filling the gap and bonding within minutes. In laboratory tests, the repaired material retained 96 per cent of its original structural strength.

"Aircraft spend up to 30 per cent of their operational life in maintenance hangars," said the project lead. "A material that repairs itself in flight could fundamentally change the economics of aviation."

Airbus and Rolls-Royce have both entered collaborative agreements with Imperial to explore commercial applications. The UK Ministry of Defence has also expressed interest for military aircraft applications. The research was published in Nature Materials this week.