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Summary: 4 April 2006
Secrets of the Sea Yield
Stronger Artificial Bone
When seawater freezes,crystals of
pure ice form layers,while impuri-
ties such as salt and microorgan-
isms are expelled from the forming
ice and entrapped in channels
between the ice crystals.The result
is a layered structure that roughly
resembles nacre's wafer-like con-
struction.
Mimicking this process, materials
scientists at Lawrence Berkeley
National Lab (Berkeley, Calif.)
developed a porous, scaffolding-
like material that is four times
stronger than material currently
used in synthetic bone. After creat-
ing a watery suspension of hydrox-
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