Narrow Results

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation on a Rufescens shell shows that the shell is a bio-ceramic composite consisting of aragonite sheets with nanometer scale and organic matrix. These nano-aragonite sheets are arranged in the shell in the form of helicoidal layup. The reason of the excellent fracture toughness of the shell is analyzed based on the maximal pullout force of the helicoidal layup of the aragonite sheets in the shell.

Most structural materials existing in nature take the form of a composite. After centuries of evolution, these materials have gained highly optimized microstructures and performance. In this work, a natural biocomposite, chafer cuticle, was observed with SEM, and it was found that the insect cuticle has a laminated structure with chitin fiber and protein matrix. Special helicoidal layups of chitin fibers were found with the chitin fiber being of nanometer scale. The relationship between the nanometer scale of the chitin fiber and the fracture strength of the cuticle was analyzed. The results show that the nanometer scale of the chitin fiber is profitable to maintain and improve the fracture strength of the biocomposite.