Tough, bio-inspired hybrid materials
The notion of mimicking natural structures in the synthesis of new structural materials has generated enormous interest but has yielded few practical advances. Natural composites achieve strength and toughness through complex hierarchical designs extremely difficult to replicate synthetically. Here we emulate Nature's toughening mechanisms through the combination of two ordinary compounds, aluminum oxide and polymethylmethacrylate, into ice-templated structures whose toughness can be over 300 times (in energy terms) that of their constituents. The final product is a bulk hybrid ceramic material whose high yield strength and fracture toughness ({approx}200 MPa and {approx}30 MPa{radical}m) provide specific properties comparable to aluminum alloys. These model materials can be used to identify the key microstructural features that should guide the synthesis of bio-inspired ceramic-based composites with unique strength and toughness.
- Research Organization:
- Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Materials Sciences Division
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 952576
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL-1114E
- Journal Information:
- Science, Journal Name: Science Journal Issue: 5907 Vol. 322; ISSN 0193-4511; ISSN SCEHDK
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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