Ling Li, an assistant professor in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech, has found insights into building stronger and tougher ceramics by studying the shells of bivalve mollusks.
Nanomaterials
Jan 6, 2021
0
70
Coccolithophores are microscopic marine algae that use carbon dioxide to grow, and release carbon dioxide when they create their miniature calcite shells. These tiny, abundant planktonic microorganisms could therefore be ...
Earth Sciences
Feb 15, 2019
0
76
The ocean floor as we know it is dissolving rapidly as a result of human activity.
Environment
Oct 29, 2018
2
497
With their current approach, energy companies can extract about 35 percent of the oil in each well. Every 1 percent above that, compounded across thousands of wells, can mean billions of dollars in additional revenue for ...
Condensed Matter
Sep 28, 2018
1
93
Scales are the material of choice for animals from pangolins to fish: They're customizable, water-friendly, strong but flexible, and easy to fix when damaged.
Materials Science
Jan 26, 2018
0
63
No self-respecting construction engineer would ever choose pure calcite – a weak, brittle mineral found in chalk – as a building material.
Materials Science
May 3, 2016
1
241
Ancient records tell us that the intrepid Viking seafarers who discovered Iceland, Greenland and eventually North America navigated using landmarks, birds and whales, and little else. There's little doubt that Viking sailors ...
Archaeology
Feb 1, 2016
1
197
Mussels are veritable masters of biomineralisation. They make hard, robust composite materials from simple substances in order to build their shells. Furthermore, the shell material itself is produced in an exemplary way. ...
Condensed Matter
Nov 27, 2014
0
0
A rough, whitish block recovered from an Elizabethan shipwreck may be a sunstone, the fabled crystal believed by some to have helped Vikings and other medieval seafarers navigate the high seas, researchers say.
Archaeology
Mar 8, 2013
4
0
(Phys.org)—For the first time, a team of Australian engineers has modelled the microscopic mechanics of a sea urchin's spine, gaining insight into how these unusual creatures withstand impacts in their aquatic environment.
Materials Science
Oct 3, 2012
0
0
