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Transparent and tough bulk composites inspired by nacre.

ABSTRACT: Materials combining optical transparency and mechanical strength are highly demanded for electronic displays, structural windows and in the arts, but the oxide-based glasses currently used in most of these applications suffer from brittle fracture and low crack tolerance. We report a simple approach to fabricate bulk transparent materials with a nacre-like architecture that can effectively arrest the propagation of cracks during fracture. Mechanical characterization shows that our glass-based composites exceed up to a factor of 3 the fracture toughness of common glasses, while keeping flexural strengths comparable to transparent polymers, silica- and soda-lime glasses. Due to the presence of stiff reinforcing platelets, the hardness of the obtained composites is an order of magnitude higher than that of transparent polymers. By implementing biological design principles into glass-based materials at the microscale, our approach opens a promising new avenue for the manufacturing of structural materials combining antagonistic functional properties.

SUBMITTER: Magrini T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6594953 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Transparent and tough bulk composites inspired by nacre.

Magrini Tommaso T Bouville Florian F Lauria Alessandro A Le Ferrand Hortense H Niebel Tobias P TP Studart André R AR

Nature communications 20190626 1

Materials combining optical transparency and mechanical strength are highly demanded for electronic displays, structural windows and in the arts, but the oxide-based glasses currently used in most of these applications suffer from brittle fracture and low crack tolerance. We report a simple approach to fabricate bulk transparent materials with a nacre-like architecture that can effectively arrest the propagation of cracks during fracture. Mechanical characterization shows that our glass-based co ...[more]

PMID: 31243283

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Project description:Ceramic materials possessing the properties of high-strength and rigidity are widely used in industry. The shell nacre has a layered structure containing both macroscopic and microscopic levels and is equipped with superior qualities regarding hardness and strength. Therefore, the ceramic composites with a nacre-like layered structure have the potential to be utilized as sliding bearings employed in the harsh conditions of wells. For the purpose of this paper, a porous Al?O? ceramics skeleton with nanometer powder is prepared using the freeze-casting method. Then the porous ceramic skeleton is filled with polymer polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) through mass polymerization to produce a bionic Al?O?/PMMA composite with a lamellar structure. The properties of the prepared composite are determined by the analysis of micro-hardness, fracture toughness, friction coefficient, wear scar diameter, and the morphology of the worn surface. Consequent results indicate that elevation in the A1?O? powder, which acts as the initial solid phase content, prompts the ceramic slurry to exhibit an increase in viscosity and a gradual decrease in the pore size of the ceramic skeleton. The prepared layered Al?O?/PMMA composite possesses high fracture toughness, which closely resembles that of Al, is approximately four times that of the matrix of the Al?O? ceramics and 16 times that of the PMMA. Three kinds of composites containing different solid phase content are subjected to testing involving lubrication by water-based drilling fluid to determine the friction coefficient of each. The results indicate that an increased load leads to a decreased friction coefficient while the impact of speed is not evident. Under dry conditions, the friction coefficient of three different composites tested, declines with elevated load and speed. With the use of water-based drilling fluid as lubrication, the wear scar diameter increases at higher speed, while dry conditions denote increased load. Abrasive wear is determined to be the principal form of erosion of layered Al?O?/PMMA composites.

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Transparent and tough bulk composites inspired by nacre.

Publications

Transparent and tough bulk composites inspired by nacre.

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