1.

0 Title
Biomimicry Self-Healing Properties in Nature
1.1 Abstract
- Explaining briefly regarding this research and why is this paper been written. Stating
about the purposes and what will be the method of approach to fulfil the requirement.
1.3 Table of Content
1.4 Introduction (background information supported by literature review)
- What is tribology?
 Study of the science and technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion and
encompasses the study and application of friction, wear, lubrication and related design
aspects.
 Type of friction (static friction, kinetic friction and etc)
 Type of wear (Abrasive wear, adhesive wear and etc)
 Application of tribology
 Effect of tribology towards energy consumption
- What is lubricant?
 Lubrication is the control of friction and wear by introducing a friction-reducing film
between moving surfaces in contact. Can be a solid, fluid or plastic substance with oil
and grease being the most common. Lubrication can take place on macro and nano
scale.
 Type of lubrication (Full-film, mixed and etc)
- What is biomimetic?
 Imitation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving
complex human problems.
 Flora and Fauna
 Example of biomimicry
- Benefit of self-healing to the world/individual/Medical/Industry/Machinery
- Determined the example of research and innovation done by other third party
regarding biomimetic self-healing and what differ them from one another.
1.5 Objective
-To study the mechanism in plants on its self-healing capability
-to identify the contribution factor towards wear, tear and fatigue in machinery
-to observe the relationship between self-healing and tribology
-to discover the application of self-healing in plant towards tribology of machinery

1.6 Problem Statement

 - Wear and tear of machinery give negative impact toward the efficiency and
performance of industry. Consume money in order to maintain it.
- What kind of self-healing mechanism that suit the situation the best in order to reduce
the wear and tear? (Lubrication or surface structure or chemical reaction)
- The best ingredient to be used in imitating the self-healing mechanism of selected
plant.
- Where is the best application and how frequent it is?
1.7 Content (literature review and methodology)
- Self-organised healing and repair of elements are especially interesting in cases where
local failure would lead to a total system breakdown, as in airplanes, space technology
or in pneumatic structures, which rely on pressure.
- Tensairity®
 Self-repair mechanisms in plant are applied to polymer materials and membranes for
pneumatic structures. Inspired by Phaseolus vulgari (Common Bean). Early phase of
self-repair, parenchyma cells expand into the artificial injury. Late phase of self-
repair, the lesion is entirely sealed by a callus of newly formed thickened (often
lignified) repair tissue.
 Transferred to technical membrane of ultralight presurrized beam. The basic idea is to
develop a ‘foamy’ layer made of a pressurized cellular technical material. Used as an
inner coating of the membrane. When the it was punctured, the foam layer will seal
the hole and expand into the hole due to their internal pressure.
- Lotus-Effect®
 Famous for their self-cleaning capability because of its anti-adhesion surfaces. Lead
to dust, soil and water repellent textiles. Inspired by the sacred flower of Lotus. The
key of the self-cleaning capability was located at the leaf structure which have small
fold. Not designed for abrasive use or wear. (Floor, etc)
- Plant secretion
 Polymers are often used in fields of application with high mechanical loads. Micro-
cracks can exist in every component and may grow up to overcritical lengths. Thus,
components may fail even far below the maximum critical load. Equipping these
components with self-healing capabilities is a smart way of preventing them from
failure, as healing the micro-cracks may inhibit or at least decelerate crack expansion.
 Inspired by Ficus benjamina (Weeping Fig). Fissure restored after injury by self-
repair due to the secretion and coagulation of latex.
 Several tests such as infrared spectroscopy and analyses of the duration and pressure
dependency of latex coagulation were conducted.
 Attempt to be used in compartmentalized systems were used, in which micro capsules
or hollow fibres/micro tubes filled with a healing agent were embedded in a polymer
matrix. Upon injury, the healing agents are released, enter the lesion, polymerize, cure
and thus heal the damage.
 Not efficient enough or applicable for all technical polymers, an enhancement of these
systems is desirable.

1.8 Results
 - Result should be fulfilling the objectives stated.
- The best method of self-healing been identified. Identified the plant used for the
research.
- Found out the best material to be used and way to applied
- Found the best way to enhance the efficiency of machinery in term of tribology.
- Understand very well the important of self-healing with tribology.

1.9 Research Plan

- Track it with Gantt Chart
 Week 4 until week 8 reading journals and articles (At least 5) which are related to the
topic and highlight some ideas. Done a brief summary.
 Week 9 until week 11 collecting 5 videos, 5 books and 30 journals. Went through it in
order to increase our understanding. Build a framework proposal.
 Attending the FYP talk.

1.10 Conclusion
- Find out the most suitable and efficient biomimicry method to be applied in tribology.
- The suitable environment and situation for the biomimicry to be applied.
- Explain regarding the benefit of enhancing and applying self-healing characteristics.
- Recommendation on enhancing and improving the method approach.

1.11 References
- Journals
- Videos
- Books