神奇!新型織物撕破後遇水能自愈!

What happens when you accidentally tear a favorite T-shirt or pair of jeans? Sure, some of us will repair it, but most people will just throw it out.

當你不小心弄破了自己最心愛的一件T恤或是牛仔褲時，你會怎麼辦？大多數人估計是直接扔到垃圾桶，當然也有那麼一些人會修補修補。

Imagine if there was a way for torn fabric to repair itself.

但是如果有辦法讓破了的布料自己修復呢？

It's an idea that researchers at Pennsylvania State University have been working on for a few years--and it's now come to fruition.

這是賓夕法尼亞州立大學研究人員研究了好幾年的一個課題，而且現在也得到了成果。

The team used bacteria and yeast to create a biodegradable liquid material that can help fabric to quickly bind to itself.

該研究團隊使用細菌和酵母研製出一種可降解的液體材料，這種液體可以幫助紡織物快速實現自我修復。

It's a simple process. You put a few drops of the liquid on the tear, apply warm water and press the edges together for a minute. The fabric reattaches and essentially self-repairs, said Melik Demirel, a professor of engineering science and mechanics at Penn State.

修復過程很簡單。賓夕法尼亞州立大學工程科學和力學教授梅利克·德米雷爾表示，只需要滴幾滴這種特製液體在破碎的織物上，以溫水熱敷，將破了的紡織物壓在一起一分鐘，問題就能輕鬆解決。

Textile manufacturers can coat already-made fabric with the liquid. The coated fabric then has a self-repair ability automatically built into it, said Demirel, who led the research.

實驗的主導人德米雷爾表示，紡織物生廠商可以在已經出廠的布料上塗一層這種液體。帶有這種塗層的布料自然而然就擁有了自我修復能力。

Additionally, cloth can be made using fiber that's actually produced with the protein. This way the cloth will inherently have the ability to self-repair with the application of pressure and water.

除此之外，用這種布料做的衣服中也會擁有這種可修復蛋白，這樣一來，如果衣服破了，噴點溫水，緊緊壓一壓，衣服就能自動修補好。

The liquid, which Demirel still hasn't named, has similar properties and structure to protein found in human hair, nails and squid tentacles.

目前，德米雷爾還未命名這種液體，其所包含的蛋白質成分和組織結構與人類頭髮，指甲以及魷魚觸角中的蛋白構成相似。

Yes, squid tentacles. Demirel said they were surprised to discover that the protein from squid had self-repairing qualities.

是的，就是魷魚的觸角。德米雷爾表示，當他們發現魷魚身體中的蛋白質具有自我修復能力的時候也很驚訝。

"Squid is a limited resource. So we needed to replicate this unique property found in squid protein using biotechnology and other substances", he said.

德米雷爾說道：“但是因爲魷魚的觸角有限，所以我們需要通過生物技術和其他物質複製魷魚觸角中的這種蛋白”。

Over the last year, Demirel's group developed the liquid and tested it on commonly worn fabrics like cotton, wool and polyester. He found that the liquid didn't alter the quality of the fabric, and that it withstood a wash in a machine.

去年，德米雷爾的研究團隊研製出了這種液體，並在棉織物，羊毛製品，滌綸等幾種易破織物上做了實驗。他發現，這種液體沒有破壞織物本來的屬性，而且不會因爲機洗而影響其效用。

Demirel said he's excited about the commercial application of the liquid. It could help improve protective clothing worn by soldiers, medical staff, even farmers, he said. Demirel's research was partly funded by the Office of Naval Research and the Army Research Office.

德米雷爾表示自己很看好該液體的商用前景。他說：“這款液體可以幫助士兵，醫護人員，甚至是農民保護衣物。”德米雷爾的研究得到了美國海軍研究辦公室和陸軍研究所的支持。