Rice University students have developed a nacre-inspired carbon fiber composite design that improves strength and damage tolerance, while Chromatic 3D Materials has successfully tested 3D-printed ...

Nacre-mimetics hold great promise as mechanical high-performance and functional materials. Here we demonstrate large progress of mechanical and functional properties of self-assembled polymer/nanoclay ...

Researchers have finally figured out how nacre – also known as mother of pearl – forms its perfect structure. As one of the strongest naturally-occurring materials known to science, nacre is coveted ...

“If we can engineer concrete to resist crack propagation, we can make it tougher, safer and more durable.” To make their nacre-like composite material, the researchers created hexagonal tablets from ...

The iridescent gleam of mother-of-pearl couldn’t come from more milquetoast materials. Mollusks make the stuff, also known as nacre, from calcium carbonate and a smattering of organic matter. Despite ...

(Nanowerk Spotlight) The remarkable properties of some natural materials have motivated many researchers to synthesize biomimetic nanocomposites that attempt to reproduce Nature’s achievements and to ...

Strong, tough but light is the rare but desired combination of properties for numerous artificial materials. Now a new material is similar to natural mother-of-pearl, but twice as strong. Nacre, or ...

For centuries, researchers have puzzled over how oysters grow stunningly symmetrical, perfectly round pearls around irregularly shaped grains of sand or bits of debris. Now a team has shown that ...