Superior Damage Tolerance of Fish Skins
Skin is the largest organ of many animals. Its protective function against hostile environments and predatorial attack makes high mechanical strength a vital characteristic. Here, we measured the mechanical properties of bass fish skins and found that fish skins are highly ductile with a rupture str...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Materials |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/953 |
| _version_ | 1797624016929816576 |
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| author | Emily Zhang Chi-Huan Tung Luyi Feng Yu Ren Zhou |
| author_facet | Emily Zhang Chi-Huan Tung Luyi Feng Yu Ren Zhou |
| author_sort | Emily Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Skin is the largest organ of many animals. Its protective function against hostile environments and predatorial attack makes high mechanical strength a vital characteristic. Here, we measured the mechanical properties of bass fish skins and found that fish skins are highly ductile with a rupture strain of up to 30–40% and a rupture strength of 10–15 MPa. The fish skins exhibit a strain-stiffening behavior. Stretching can effectively eliminate the stress concentrations near the pre-existing holes and edge notches, suggesting that the skins are highly damage tolerant. Our measurement determined a flaw-insensitivity length that exceeds those of most engineering materials. The strain-stiffening and damage tolerance of fish skins are explained by an agent-based model of a collagen network in which the load-bearing collagen microfibers assembled from nanofibrils undergo straightening and reorientation upon stretching. Our study inspires the development of artificial skins that are thin, flexible, but highly fracture-resistant and widely applicable in soft robots. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:36:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dd02211ec58040fb8c12eebe800de13d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:36:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-dd02211ec58040fb8c12eebe800de13d2023-11-16T17:14:59ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442023-01-0116395310.3390/ma16030953Superior Damage Tolerance of Fish SkinsEmily Zhang0Chi-Huan Tung1Luyi Feng2Yu Ren Zhou3State College Area High School, State College, PA 16801, USADepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USADepartment of Engineering Science and Mechanics, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USADepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USASkin is the largest organ of many animals. Its protective function against hostile environments and predatorial attack makes high mechanical strength a vital characteristic. Here, we measured the mechanical properties of bass fish skins and found that fish skins are highly ductile with a rupture strain of up to 30–40% and a rupture strength of 10–15 MPa. The fish skins exhibit a strain-stiffening behavior. Stretching can effectively eliminate the stress concentrations near the pre-existing holes and edge notches, suggesting that the skins are highly damage tolerant. Our measurement determined a flaw-insensitivity length that exceeds those of most engineering materials. The strain-stiffening and damage tolerance of fish skins are explained by an agent-based model of a collagen network in which the load-bearing collagen microfibers assembled from nanofibrils undergo straightening and reorientation upon stretching. Our study inspires the development of artificial skins that are thin, flexible, but highly fracture-resistant and widely applicable in soft robots.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/953strain stiffeningcollagenskindamage-mechanicsbiomechanics |
| spellingShingle | Emily Zhang Chi-Huan Tung Luyi Feng Yu Ren Zhou Superior Damage Tolerance of Fish Skins Materials strain stiffening collagen skin damage-mechanics biomechanics |
| title | Superior Damage Tolerance of Fish Skins |
| title_full | Superior Damage Tolerance of Fish Skins |
| title_fullStr | Superior Damage Tolerance of Fish Skins |
| title_full_unstemmed | Superior Damage Tolerance of Fish Skins |
| title_short | Superior Damage Tolerance of Fish Skins |
| title_sort | superior damage tolerance of fish skins |
| topic | strain stiffening collagen skin damage-mechanics biomechanics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/953 |
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