Nature almost always builds things well. Researchers worldwide are working to design synthetic materials that mimic the best qualities of natural materials or living matter to enhance the strength and other properties of advanced materials. Covering these topics, Dinesh Katti, professor and interim chair of civil engineering at North Dakota State University, Fargo, recently served as a guest editor for the Materials Research Society Bulletin.
The publication features technical information provided by experts in the field. Katti and Professor Christian Hellmich, head of the Institute for Mechanics of Materials and Structures, Vienna University of Technology in Austria, served as guest editors for the April issue.
The publication focused on innovations in the field of engineering mechanics for modeling biological and bioinspired materials. The introductory article written by Katti and Hellmich summarizes the peer-reviewed papers in the volume, lists challenges in modeling biological materials, and provides broad ideas to overcome them. Katti and Hellmich also are moderating a webinar titled Multiscale Mechanics of Biological, Biomedical and Biologically-Inspired Materials on Wednesday, April 22 at 11 a.m. CDT. Up to 800 participants are expected for the webinar.
To determine how biological materials are made and how the internal structure of biological materials contribute to the unique properties exhibited by them, researchers conduct experiments to measure the materials’ mechanical properties. Since materials built by nature may not neatly fit into traditional measurement methods and mechanical theories, researchers are examining ways to extend what is known about theoretical and experimental applied mechanics. They also are developing new techniques to help determine the mechanical properties of biological and bioinspired materials.
Biological materials are very complex and typically have hierarchical structures that are not found in man-made materials. There is a strong need to develop new approaches to understand the structure-property relationship and accurately model these materials. According to Katti, without a good understanding of structure-property relationships and robust modeling, mimicking the unique behavior of biological materials to design advanced materials is not possible.
The volume co-edited by Katti examines approaches that are different, complementary and interdependent, as researchers work to understand and mimic the properties of biological materials. One overall goal is to find ways to improve the strength, toughness and other properties of man-made materials by fully understanding those made by nature. The field is known as multiscale mechanics, and often integrates multiple disciplines such as materials science, chemistry, biology, molecular physics and engineering.
Traditional ways to measure mechanical properties are rooted in metallurgy, which originated to explore metals and alloys. Scientists are now discussing whether methods to quantify metals are methods that can accurately determine the properties of bioinspired materials. Discussion in the upcoming MRS webinar will focus on these issues.
According to its website, the Materials Research Society (MRS) is “an organization of materials researchers worldwide that promotes communication for the advancement of interdisciplinary materials research and technology to improve the quality of life.” It has more than 16,000 members in the United States and in nearly 80 other countries.
NDSU, Fargo, North Dakota, USA, is notably listed among the top 108 U.S. public and private universities in the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education’s category of “Research Universities/Very High Research Activity.” NDSU is listed in the Top 100 research universities in the U.S. for R&D in agricultural sciences, chemistry, computer sciences, physical sciences, psychology, and social sciences, based on research expenditures reported to the National Science Foundation. As a student-focused, land-grant, research university, we serve our citizens. www.ndsu.edu/research