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Rudolph's antlers inspire next generation of unbreakable materials

The secret behind the toughness of deer antlers

Date:
December 19, 2016
Source:
Queen Mary University of London
Summary:
Scientists have discovered the secret behind the toughness of deer antlers and how they can resist breaking during fights.
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Scientists from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) have discovered the secret behind the toughness of deer antlers and how they can resist breaking during fights.

The team looked at the antler structure at the 'nano-level', which is incredibly small, almost one thousandth of the thickness of a hair strand, and were able to identify the mechanisms at work, using state-of-the-art computer modelling and x-ray techniques.

First author Paolino De Falco from QMUL's School of Engineering and Materials Science said: "The fibrils that make up the antler are staggered rather than in line with each other. This allows them to absorb the energy from the impact of a clash during a fight."

The research, published today in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, provides new insights and fills a previous gap in the area of structural modelling of bone. It also opens up possibilities for the creation of a new generation of materials that can resist damage.

Co-author Dr Ettore Barbieri, also from QMUL's School of Engineering and Materials Science, said: "Our next step is to create a 3D printed model with fibres arranged in staggered configuration and linked by an elastic interface.

The aim is to prove that additive manufacturing -- where a prototype can be created a layer at a time -- can be used to create damage resistant composite material."


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Materials provided by Queen Mary University of London. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Paolino De Falco, Ettore Barbieri, Nicola M. Pugno, Himadri S. Gupta. Staggered fibrils and damageable interfaces lead concurrently and independently to hysteretic energy absorption and inhomogeneous strain fields in cyclically loaded antler bone. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 2016; DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00637

Cite This Page:

Queen Mary University of London. "Rudolph's antlers inspire next generation of unbreakable materials." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 December 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161219134407.htm>.
Queen Mary University of London. (2016, December 19). Rudolph's antlers inspire next generation of unbreakable materials. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161219134407.htm
Queen Mary University of London. "Rudolph's antlers inspire next generation of unbreakable materials." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161219134407.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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