Mechanical adaptability of the Bouligand-type structure in natural dermal armour

Elizabeth A. Zimmermann, Bernd Gludovatz, Eric Schaible, Neil K. N. Dave, Wen Yang, Marc A. Meyers and Robert O. Ritchie ()
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Elizabeth A. Zimmermann: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Bernd Gludovatz: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Eric Schaible: Experimental Systems Group, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Neil K. N. Dave: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Wen Yang: Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego
Marc A. Meyers: Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego
Robert O. Ritchie: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Nature Communications, 2013, vol. 4, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Arapaima gigas, a fresh water fish found in the Amazon Basin, resist predation by piranhas through the strength and toughness of their scales, which act as natural dermal armour. Arapaima scales consist of a hard, mineralized outer shell surrounding a more ductile core. This core region is composed of aligned mineralized collagen fibrils arranged in distinct lamellae. Here we show how the Bouligand-type (twisted plywood) arrangement of collagen fibril lamellae has a key role in developing their unique protective properties, by using in situ synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering during mechanical tensile tests to observe deformation mechanisms in the fibrils. Specifically, the Bouligand-type structure allows the lamellae to reorient in response to the loading environment; remarkably, most lamellae reorient towards the tensile axis and deform in tension through stretching/sliding mechanisms, whereas other lamellae sympathetically rotate away from the tensile axis and compress, thereby enhancing the scale’s ductility and toughness to prevent fracture.

Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3634

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