Self-Healing in Titanium Alloys: A Materials Science Perspective

Self-healing materials (SHM’s) is an emerging class of smart materials, which are capable of autonomous or spontaneous repair of their damage under external stimuli, such as heat, light, and solvent, to the original or near original functionalities much like the biological organisms. The emergence of self-healing in metallic materials presents an exciting paradigm for an ideal combination of metallic and biological properties. The driving force behind this effort is to decrease the consequences of accidents, reduction of cost and extending the service life of metallic components. While previous reviews have focused on self-healing in polymers, composite, concrete and cementous materials, and ceramic, discussions about self-healing in metallic materials remains scarce and the survey of literatures suggests Ti-based self-healing materials known to be biocompatible in human body is rare. The present chapter examines the art of self-healing in titanium-based alloys with the scope to provide an overview of recent advancements and to highlight current problems and perspectives with respect to potential application.