ABSTRACT
Biological materials are prime examples for evolutionarily optimized functional systems. One of their most outstanding properties is the ability of regeneration of function upon the in·iction of damage by external negative in·uences, in particular, mechanical loads. In nature, self-healing can take place either at the molecular level (e.g., repair of DNA) or at the macroscopic level: closure and healing of injuries of blood vessels and merging of broken bones. These processes are familiar, even selfevident (e.g., healing of a small cut in the ˜nger). In contrast, man-made engineering materials generally do not possess this healing ability. Instead, they were and are still developed on the basis of the “damage prevention” paradigm rather than a “damage management” concept (van der Zwaag 2007). The materials developed should stand more and more stress before they start to fail, but they cannot “manage” damage, that is, they cannot compensate smaller damages in order to elongate their lifetime.
