Undue Hardness/Modulus Ratio Claims instead of Physical Penetration Resistance and Applications with Mollusk Shells

The Nanoindentation is a precise technique for the elucidation of mechanical properties. But such elucidation requires physically based interpretation of the loading curves that is widely still not practiced. The use of indentation hardness H and indentation modulus Er is unphysical and cannot detect the most important phase-transitions under load that very often occur. The claim that H versus E plots relate linearly for all different materials is neither empirically found nor correctly deduced. It is most dangerous by producing incorrect materials properties and misleading. The use of H/E (that is also called “elasticity index”) in complicated formulas for brittle parameter, yield strength, toughness, and so-called “true hardness” is also in error. The use of H/E cannot reveal the true qualities of materials without considering phase-transitions under load that require the correct exponent 3/2 on h for the loading curves (instead of disproved 2). This is exemplified with the physical data of different mollusk shells that experience phase-transitions, a new bionics model, and different contributions for their strengthening. The data are compared to the ones of aragonite and calcite and vaterite.

Microstructural Dependence of Friction and Wear Behavior in Biological Shells

As an essential renewable mineral resource,mollusk shells can be used as handicrafts,building materials,adsor-bents,etc.However,there are few reports on the wear resistance of their structures.The Vicker’s hardness and friction,and wear resistance of different microstructures in mollusk shells were comparatively studied in the pre-sent work.The hardness of prismatic structures is lower than that of cross-lamellar and nacreous structures.How-ever,the experimental results of sliding tests indicate that the prismatic structure exhibits the best anti-wear ability compared with foliated,crossed-lamellar,and nacreous structures.The anti-wear and hardness do not present a positive correlation,as the wear resistance properties of different microstructures in mollusk shells are governed jointly by organic matrix,structural arrangement,and basic building block actions.The present researchfindings are expected to provide fundamental insight into the design of renewable bionic materials with high wear resistance.