Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Dynamic nanomechanical response of nacre

  • Article
  • Published:
Journal of Materials Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Nacre, the shiny inner layer of mollusk shells is a model biomimetic nanocomposite system. Its exceptional mechanical properties have been the inspiration for materials scientists for several decades. Nacre exhibits a layered brick and mortar structure. It is composed of 95% inorganic (aragonitic CaCO3) phase and 5% organic (mainly proteins and polysaccharides) phase that are arranged in interlocked brick and mortar architecture with the mineral as bricks and organics as the mortar. In the current work, we describe the dynamic nanomechanical behavior of nacre using dynamic nanoindentation (nano-DMA) experiments. Two sets of loads were applied to obtain the dynamic response from varying depths in nacre. These tests were performed at three different frequencies (25, 50, and 100 Hz) to study the effect of frequency on the dynamic properties of nacre. The loss modulus (E″) and the loss factor (tan δ) were measured. Both of these parameters were observed to increase with increase in depth. Significant increase in tan δ was observed with the increase in frequency. Photoacoustic Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies on nacre indicate the presence of water in nacre. This water may be present at nanograin interfaces in nacre platelets, at organic–inorganic interfaces, and also in the organic phase in nacre. We believe that water is one of the significant contributors to the viscoelasticity of nacre. Our results indicate that the aragonite platelets in nacre may also contribute to viscoelasticity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. J.D. Currey: Mechanical properties of mother of pearl in tension. Proc. R. Soc. London, B: Biol. Sci. 196, 443 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. A.P. Jackson, J.F.V Vincent, R.M. Turner: The mechanical design of nacre. Proc. R. Soc. London, B: Biol. Sci. 234, 415 (1988).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. A.P. Jackson, J.F.V Vincent, R.M. Turner: Comparison of nacre with other ceramic composites. J. Mater. Sci. 25, 3173 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. K.S. Katti, D.R. Katti, S.M. Pradhan, A. Bhosle: Platelet interlocks are the key to toughness and strength in nacre. J. Mater. Res. 20, 1097 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. J.D. Currey: Mechanical properties of mollusc shell, in The Mechanical Properties of Biological Materials edited by J.F.V Vincent and J.D. Currey (Cambridge University Press, London, UK, 1980) p. 75.

  6. M. Yasrebi, G.M. Kim, K.E. Gunnison, D.L. Milius, M. Sarikaya, and I.A. Aksay: Biomimetic processing of ceramics and ceramic-metal composites, in Better Ceramics Through Chemistry IV edited by B.J.J Zelinski, C.J. Brinker, D.E. Clark, and D.R. Ulrich (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 180, Pittsburgh, PA, 1990), p. 625.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. M. Sarikaya, K.E. Gunnison, M. Yasrebi, D.L. Milius, and I.A. Aksay: Mechanical properties-microstructure relationships in Abalone shell, in Materials Synthesis Utilizing Biological Processes edited by P.C. Rieke, P.D. Calvert, and M. Alper (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 174, Pittsburgh, PA, 1990), p. 109.

    Google Scholar 

  8. D.R. Katti, K.S. Katti: Modeling microarchitecture and mechanical behavior of nacre using 3D finite element techniques. J. Mater. Sci. 36, 1411 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. D.R. Katti, K.S. Katti, J. Tang, and M. Sarikaya: Effect of nanostructure in nacre: A multiscale modeling approach, in Proc. 15th ASCE Engineering Mechanics Conf. edited by A. Smyth (ASCE, Reston, VA, 2002) p. 1.

  10. D.R. Katti, K.S. Katti, J.M. Sopp, M. Sarikaya: 3D finite element modeling of mechanical response in nacre-based hybrid nanocomposites. Comput. Theor. Polym. Sci. 11, 2485 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. D.R. Katti, S.M. Pradhan, K.S. Katti: Modeling the organic-inorganic interfacial nanoasperities in a model bio-nanocomposite, nacre. Rev. Adv. Mater. Sci. 6, 162 (2004).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. K.S. Katti, M. Qian, D.W. Frech, M. Sarikaya: Electron energy loss spectroscopy and dielectric functions of biological and geological polymorphs of CaCO3. Microsc. Microanal. 5, 358 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. D. Verma, K.S. Katti, D.R. Katti: Photoacoustic FTIR spectroscopic study of undisturbed nacre from red abalone. Spectrochim. Acta, Part A, 64, 1051 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. D. Tabor: The Hardness of Metals (Oxford, London, UK, 1951).

    Google Scholar 

  15. J.B. Pethica, R. Hutchings, W.C. Oliver: Hardness measurement at penetration depths as small as 20 nm. Philos. Mag. A 48, 593 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. W.C. Oliver, G.M. Pharr: An improved technique for determining hardness and elastic-modulus using load and displacement sensing indentation experiments. J. Mater. Res. 7, 1564 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. J.B. Pethica, W.C. Oliver: Tip surface interactions in STM and AFM. Phys. Scr. T19, 61 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. S.A. Syed Asif and J.B. Pethica: Nano-scale viscoelastic properties of polymer materials, in Thin Films—Stresses and Mechanical Properties VII edited by R.C. Cammarata, M. Nastasi, E.P. Busso, and W.C. Oliver (Mater. Res. Symp. Proc. 505, Warrendale, PA, 1998), p. 103.

  19. C.S. Lee, J.Y. Jho, K. Choi, T.W. Hwang: Dynamic mechanical behavior of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene irradiated with gamma rays. Macromol. Res. 12, 141 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. K. Park, S. Mishra, G. Lewis, J. Losby, Z.F. Fan, J.B. Park: Quasi-static and dynamic nanoindentation studies on highly crosslinked ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. Biomaterials 25, 2427 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. X. Li, W. Chang, Y.J. Chao, R. Wang, M. Chang: Nanoscale structural and mechanical characterization of a natural nanocomposite material: The shell of red abalone. Nano Lett. 4, 613 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. B.J.F Bruet, R. Panas, K. Tai, C. Ortiz, H.J. Qi, M.C. Boyce: Nanoscale morphology and indentation of individual nacre tablets from the gastropod mollusc Trochus Niloticus. J. Mater. Res. 20, 2400 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. N.G. McCrum, C.P. Buckley, C.B. Bucknall: Principles of Polymer Engineering, 2nd ed. (Oxford Science Publications, Oxford University Press, London, UK, 1997).

    Google Scholar 

  24. S.A. Asif, K.J. Wahl, R.J. Colton: Nanoindentation and contact stiffness measurement using force modulation with capacitive load-displacement transducer. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 70, 2408 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. M.W. Urban: Vibrational Spectroscopy of Molecules and Macromolecules on Surfaces (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1993).

    Google Scholar 

  26. A. Rosencwaig: Photoacoustics and Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  27. D.E. Kramer, A.A. Volinsky, N.R. Moody, W.W. Gerberich: Substrate effects on indentation plastic zone development in thin soft films. J. Mater. Res. 16, 3150 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Y. Oaki, H. Imai: The hierarchical architecture of nacre and its mimetic material. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. 44, 6571 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. J. Yamashita, B.R. Furman, H.R. Rawls, X. Wang, C.M. Agrawal: The use of dynamic mechanical analysis to assess the viscoelastic properties of human cortical bone. Biomed. Mater. Res. 58, 47 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, 58105, USA

    Bedabibhas Mohanty, Kalpana S. Katti, Dinesh R. Katti & Devendra Verma

Authors
  1. Bedabibhas Mohanty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kalpana S. Katti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dinesh R. Katti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Devendra Verma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kalpana S. Katti.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mohanty, B., Katti, K.S., Katti, D.R. et al. Dynamic nanomechanical response of nacre. Journal of Materials Research 21, 2045–2051 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2006.0247

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2006.0247

Search

Navigation