Vehicles coated with a paint treated with a new additive could render concerns about rust obsolete. Developed jointly by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, the additive – called polyfibroblast – enables paint scratches to “heal” themselves before oxidation takes place and corrosion starts. “This technology could cut maintenance costs, and more importantly, it could increase the time vehicles are out in the field,” said Capt. Frank Furman, research-programs manager for ONR’s Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Combatting Terrorism Department. Polyfibroblast is mixed in powder form with common paint primers. The powder actually consists of microscopic spheres filled with an oily substance. When broken, the substance forms a water-repellent coating across the exposed metal. Other such substances exist on the commercial market, but ONR claims none are as thoroughly corrosion-resistant as polyfibroblast.