Devices that are flexible and foldable have recently developed at a rapid rate. People’s use of foldable devices is on the rise. Repeated deformation of the folded parts during long-term use may result in fatigue damage to the devices. Thusly, the harm will influence the typical capabilities of the gadgets.
A research team led by Prof. Yu Shuhong and collaborating with Prof. Wu Hengan from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) proposed their strategies for increasing the fatigue resistance of structural materials in light of the hinge of the bivalve Cristaria plicata, which experiences hundreds of thousands of repeated opening-and-closing valve motions over the course of the bivalve’s lifetime. On June 23, 2023, the publication of the work titled “Deformable hard tissue with high fatigue resistance in the hinge of bivalve Cristaria plicata” appeared in the journal Science.
The analysts enlightened the system of weakness opposition of deformable biomineral tissue in the pivot of bivalve C. plicata, a type of mollusk, and proposed an original plan methodology of weakness safe underlying materials by taking advantage of the innate properties of every part through the multiscale structure.
They discovered that the hinge’s folding fan-shaped region (FFR) can withstand significant deformation during the repeated opening and closing of the valve and keep its structure and function for a long time. Even after 1,500,000 cycles, the tissue continues to function normally and does not exhibit any fatigue-related behaviors.
The outer ligament (OL) and the folding fan-shaped region are the two parts of the hinge. The researchers discovered the roles that each hinge region played in the motion of the valves through observation and finite element analysis. The FFR is deformed circumferentially and provides strong radial support to fix the OL under the limited radial deformation when closing, while the stretched OL takes on the majority of the circumferential stress and stores the majority of the elastic strain energy.
They discovered that the FFR has significant deformability and load translation capability thanks to the hierarchical structures that extend from the macroscale level down to the lattice level.
A novel biomimetic model for creating artificial materials with brittle components and a fresh perspective on lengthening the lifespan of materials are presented in this work. The future development of fatigue-resistant materials is illuminated by the multi-level design strategy.
More information: Xiang-Sen Meng et al, Deformable hard tissue with high fatigue resistance in the hinge of bivalve Cristaria plicata, Science (2023). DOI: 10.1126/science.ade2038. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ade2038
