Hybrid Bio-Inspired Structure Based on Nacre and Woodpecker Beak for Enhanced Mechanical Performance

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Bio-inspired Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• High strength and toughness are critical for advanced materials in academic and industrial fields.
• Existing composite structures often lack optimal mechanical performance.
• Bio-inspiration offers a promising avenue for novel material design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel hybrid brick-and-mortar-like composite structure inspired by the woodpecker beak.
• To analyze the impact of tablet waviness and wave number on mechanical properties.
• To enhance the strength, stiffness, and toughness of bio-inspired composites.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a novel hybrid brick-and-mortar-like composite structure.
• Experimental analysis of mechanical performance under varying waviness parameters.
• Finite element simulations to investigate deformation and stress distribution.

Main Results:

• The novel composite exhibited significant improvements: strength increased by up to 191.3%, stiffness by 46.6%, and toughness by 811.0% compared to flat-tablet composites.
• A new failure mode combining soft phase failure and tablet fracture was identified as key to high toughness.
• Finite element simulations confirmed enhanced load transfer and greater tensile deformation before fracture.

Conclusions:

• The woodpecker beak-inspired wavy structure effectively enhances the mechanical performance of brick-and-mortar composites.
• The bio-inspired design offers a pathway for developing high-performance materials for aerospace and automotive industries.
• This study provides valuable insights for designing advanced composites with superior strength and toughness.