Year: 1994
Type: conference-abstract
Abstract: Natural materials often have exceptional mechanical performance. Woods and palms are among the most efficient materials available for beams of a given stiffness or strength, or for columns of a given buckling resistance. Their values of the performance indices E1/2/ρ, E1/3/ρ, σf2/3/ρ, and σf1/2/ρ are equal or greater than those of virtually all engineering materials. Silk and muscle perform well as springs; skin is an excellent material for elastic hinges. And antler and nacre are an order of magnitude tougher than any engineering ceramic. The natural function of each of these materials exploits their exceptional properties. Woods and palms resist bending (of the trunk from wind loads, or of branches from their own weight) and buckling (of the trunk). Silk stores elastic strain energy as an insect flies into, and is trapped by, the spider’s web. Muscle stores and then releases elastic strain energy during locomotion. And antlers must be tough to withstand the rigours of rutting.
Source: Advances in Bioengineering
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W27954434