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(Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Energy)
Researchers from Virginia Tech have gained insights into building stronger and tougher ceramics by studying the shells of bivalve mollusks. Normally, the presence of nanoscale structural defects means a site of potential failure. But the researchers have shown that the size, spacing, geometry, orientation, and distribution of these nanoscale defects within the biomineral is highly controlled, improving not only the structural strength but also the damage tolerance through controlled cracking and fracture.
