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An Electron Microscopy Study of the Microstructure and Microarchitecture of the Strombus Gigas Shell

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2011

V.J. Laraia ,
M. Aindow  and
A.H. Heuer
V.J. Laraia
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
M. Aindow
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
A.H. Heuer
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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Abstract

A scanning and transmission electron microscopy study is presented of the microstructure of the Strombus gigas shell. The heirarchical nature of this crossed-lamellar structure and the defect content of the mineral component are described. This mineral component consists of small single crystal grains of aragonite, the metastable orthorhombic polymorph of CaCO3. The habit and morphology of the grains discussed here have not been determined previously. The observed habit and defect structure suggest that the organic matrix exerts a high degree of control over the crystal growth of the mineral phase and is responsible for the long range order in the microarchitecture. Electron beam heating of the mineral component leads to certain phase changes and these are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 174: Symposium R – Materials Synthesis Utilizing Biological Processes , 1989 , 117
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1990

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