Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Preface
- List of Boxes
- 1 Evolution of materials science and engineering: from natural to bioinspired materials
- Part I Basic biology principles
- Part II Biological materials
- 6 Silicate- and calcium-carbonate-based composites
- 7 Calcium-phosphate-based composites
- 8 Biological polymers and polymer composites
- 9 Biological elastomers
- 10 Biological foams (cellular solids)
- 11 Functional biological materials
- Part III Bioinspired materials and biomimetics
- References
- Index
8 - Biological polymers and polymer composites
from Part II - Biological materials
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2014
- Frontmatter
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Preface
- List of Boxes
- 1 Evolution of materials science and engineering: from natural to bioinspired materials
- Part I Basic biology principles
- Part II Biological materials
- 6 Silicate- and calcium-carbonate-based composites
- 7 Calcium-phosphate-based composites
- 8 Biological polymers and polymer composites
- 9 Biological elastomers
- 10 Biological foams (cellular solids)
- 11 Functional biological materials
- Part III Bioinspired materials and biomimetics
- References
- Index
Summary
Introduction
Chapters 6 and 7 covered the structure, at different hierarchical levels, of biological mineral-based composites (see the Ashby–Wegst classification in Fig. 2.11), and explained the mechanical properties in terms of it. There are also a number of biological composites that do not contain minerals, or in which minerals appear only in small proportions. This is what will be studied in this chapter. We differentiate Chapter 8 by covering the biological polymers that have extensive “stretchability” in Chapter 9.
We start with the very important components, tendons and ligaments that join bone and muscle, and bone and bone, respectively. They are primarily composed of collagen. An extraordinary biological material, spider silk, is introduced next. The strength level can reach and exceed 1 GPa. If we normalize this by dividing it by the density (~1 g/cm3), we obtain a material that is considerably stronger than our strongest steels (~3 GPa, with density of 7.8 g/cm3). Molecular dynamics computations explain how this high strength is accomplished with the weak hydrogen bond.
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- Information
- Biological Materials ScienceBiological Materials, Bioinspired Materials, and Biomaterials, pp. 292 - 354Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2014
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