Berkeley Lab researchers have reported the first direct observation of nanoparticles undergoing oriented attachment, the critical step in biomineralization and the growth of nanocrystals. A better understanding of oriented ...
Nacre -- or mother of pearl, scientists and artisans know, is one of nature's amazing utilitarian materials.
(PhysOrg.com) -- In nature, the strength of mother-of-pearl is a key to survival for some shellfish. Now a team led by Xiaodong Li, an engineering professor at the University of South Carolina, has posited an explanation ...
Nacre, commonly known as mother-of-pearl, is the iridescent material lining many mollusk shells. It is part of a two-layer armor system that protects the animal from predators. The brittle outer layer of the shell absorbs ...
(PhysOrg.com) -- Biological materials are fascinating because they are very light but have the ability to withstand extreme forces. Nacre is amazingly tough thanks to a multi-layer arrangement of platelet-shaped calcium carbonate ...
Helsinki University of Technology research group in collaboration with VTT and Royal Institute of Technology, Finland, show the first example of light-weight but mechanically strong nanocomposite material mimicking the nacreous ...
The tip of a squid's beak is harder than most metals but the end closest to the animal's mouth is a fleshy 100 times softer.
(PhysOrg.com) -- Biomimicry – technological innovation inspired by nature – is one of the hottest ideas in science but has yet to yield many practical advances. Time for a change. Scientists with the U.S. Department of Energy's ...
(PhysOrg.com) -- In addition to its iridescent beauty, mother of pearl, or nacre, the inner lining of the shells of abalone, mussels and certain other mollusks, is also renowned for an amazing strength and toughness that ...
Scientists at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Germany) advise buyers of cultured pearls to be more vigilant. "In Germany too, we are increasingly seeing Chinese sweet-water cultured pearls being marketed as Japanese, ...
