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Mysterious natural materials: Why are seashells' nacre stronger than their minerals?
In nature, the nacre of shells displays a mysterious strength, surpassing the minerals it contains in terms of toughness and durability. This phenomenon has aroused widespread interest among scientists and prompted people to conduct in-depth research on the structure and properties of these mysterious substances.
The mechanical properties of natural materials are the product of long-term evolution, having undergone millions of years of natural selection and adaptation.
Many biological tissues contain minerals to enhance their mechanical properties, such as structurally rigid bones, shells, and even some tissues in plants. These materials have been carefully adjusted through countless evolutions and demonstrate excellent performance and layout. The most common mineral in shells is reportedly calcium carbonate, with the nacre being composed primarily of aragonite. The magic of nacre lies in its "layered structure", which enables it to effectively disperse stress and energy under the context of force applied.
Structure and strength of nacre
The remarkable feature of nacre is its layered structure. This structure is divided into macro, micro and nano levels, and each layer can effectively withstand and isolate different types of stress and damage.
On a macroscopic level, the shell's two-layer structure consists of a hard outer shell and a relatively flexible nacre, which makes the overall structure more durable.
On a microscopic level, nacre can be seen as being made up of flat sheets of aragonite stacked on top of each other, with organic material bonding between the sheets. This arrangement effectively prevents cracks from developing further when stress is applied. The nanostructure consists of organic components that connect the aragonite sheets and provide additional support, preventing the material from fracturing.
Different from the strength of traditional minerals
Although the mineral portion of nacre is no stronger than other pure minerals, studies have shown that nacre is much tougher than its constituent minerals, and can be 1,000 to 10,000 times stronger. That’s why scientists around the world are working to decode the power of this material and explore its potential applications in engineering and materials science.
Enlightenment of biomineralization
The study of nacre goes beyond its own materials science and has led to further exploration of biomineralization processes. When organisms release minerals, they choose the best structure and arrangement to enhance their strength. In the process, understanding the different combinations of organic and inorganic materials used by various organisms can help scientists design stronger artificial materials.
Enlightenment from Engineering Applications
Inspired by nacre, people began to explore similar structural designs in different fields of materials science. By mimicking the layers and composition of these natural materials, it is possible to create lighter, stronger engineering materials that have potential for a wide range of applications in fields as diverse as aerospace, construction and medical devices.
Health and disease perspectives
Mineralized tissue also plays an important role within the human body and is involved in many health issues in addition to its support and protection functions. For example, kidney stones are an example of pathological mineralized tissue, and understanding these processes is crucial for treating and preventing related diseases.
SummaryThe exploration of natural materials will be an ongoing process, especially hoping to learn from their essence of structure and performance. In the future, as technology develops, we may see more innovative engineering solutions based on natural materials. This can't help but think of it: In the future, is there more secrets that have not been explored waiting for us to be revealed?
