Ceramic, glass, concrete

Eventually crack and shatter. Requires replacement or repairs. Carried out with adhesives and assembling. Affected by corrosion and

Natures materials (mollusk shell, shark skin, etc.)

Can be repaired by the original organisms Regenerates itself Reproduces itself

Abalone shells
the shell resembled a brick wall, with calcium carbonate bricks alternating with a protein mortar. the shell was extremely strong due to its laminated structure.

Abalone shell

Brick-like structure

a boron-carbide/aluminum composite he helped develop was used as armor plating for tanks!

What are composites?

Composites are solid materials
that result when two or more substances are combined to form a new substance possessing properties that are superior to those of the original ingredients.

Examples of composite:
Plastic + wood= Plastic Wood
It is manufactured by using extrusion process involving the intimate mixing of plastic and wood (wood fiber and plant fiber).

Fine glass+ Polymer= Fiber fibers Glass

Also knows as fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix.

Examples of composite:

Graphite and carbon fiber

Graphite is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer or carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP or CRP or often simply carbon fiber), is a very strong and light fiber-reinforced polymer which contains carbon fibers.

Graphite and carbon fiber structure

Graphite has a layered, planar structure. In each layer, the carbon atoms are arranged in a hexagonal lattice with separation of 0.142 nm, and the distance between planes is 0.335 nm.

Light-structured composite materials are designed for new planes, space shuttle parts, sports equipment, Formula-1 racing cars and yachts, and new discoveries are quickly being made. But still, manmade composites are much more primitive and frail than those occurring naturally.

Fiberglass Technology in Crocodile Skin

Question: A crocodiles skin is impervious to what?

A. B. C. D.

Arrows Knives Bullets All of the Above

The substance that gives crocodile skin its special strength is the

collagen protein fibers it contains. These fibers have the

property of strengthening a tissue when added to it.

Collagen didnt come to possess such detailed characteristics as the result of a long, random process, as evolutionists would have us believe. Rather, it emerged perfect and complete, with all its properties, at the first moment of its creation.

Steel-Cable Technology in Muscles

Question: Which muscle is the strongest? A. B. C. D. Biceps Triceps Tongue Gluteus maximus

Very firm yet pliant structure, because of the collagen-based fibers that make them up.

Each individual cable is itself a twisted bundle of thinner cables. Each of these thinner cables is itself a twisted bundle of molecules, which are, of course, twisted, helical bundles of atoms. Again and again a mathematical beauty unfolds, a self-referential, fractal kaleidoscope of engineering brilliance.

Multi-Purpose Whale Blubber

Natural flotation mechanism that allows whales to rise to the surface to breathe. Natural Insulator It provides two to three times as much energy as sugar or protein. Flexible rubberlike material. This not only provides the whale with extra speed, but also allows a 20% energy saving on long journeys.

Mother-of-Pearls Special Damage-Limiting Structure

The strengthening factor is that whenever a crack does form, the protein layers stretch out into strands across the fracture, absorbing the energy that would permit the cracks to continue.
8 micrometers across and 0.5 micrometers thick can be seen, arranged in layers (1 micrometer = 10-6 meter). These platelets are composed of a dense and crystalline form of calcium carbonate, yet they can be joined together, thanks to a sticky silk-like protein.

Mother-of-Pearls Special Damage-Limiting Structure

The Hardness of Wood Is Hidden in Its Design

In contrast to the substances in other living things, vegetable composites consist more of cellulose fibers than collagen. Woods hard, resistant structure derives from producing this cellulosea hard material that is not soluble in water. This property of cellulose makes wood so versatile in Because to cellulose, timber construction. Thanks wood absorbs the energy from lowvelocity impacts, its highly effective at structures keep standing for hundreds of restricting damage to one specific location years. Described as tension-bearing and matchless, cellulose is used much more extensively than other building materials in buildings, bridges, furniture and any number of items. Because wood absorbs the energy from lowvelocity impacts, its highly effective at restricting damage to one specific location. In particular, damage is reduced the most when the impact occurs at right angles to the direction of the grain. Diagnostic research has shown that different types of

Once the spiders chemical miracle can be replicated fully, then a great many useful materials can be produced: safety belts with the requisite elasticity, very strong surgical sutures that leave no scars, and bulletproof fabrics. Moreover, no harmful or poisonous substances need to be used in their production. Spiders silk possesses the most extraordinary properties. On account of its high resistance to tension, ten times more energy is required to break spider silk than other, similar biological materials.35 As a result, much more energy needs to be expended in order to break a piece of spider silk of the same size as a nylon thread. One main reason why spiders are able to produce such strong silk is that they manage to add assisting compounds with a regular structure by controlling the crystallization and folding of the basic protein compounds. Since the weaving material consists of liquid crystal, spiders expend a minimum of energy while doing this. The thread produced by spiders is much