Nacre-like ceramic-metal composite achieves superior strength and mass-production potential
Mollusks possess sturdy protective shells, thanks to their internal nacre structure. Nacre, the natural nanocomposite, demonstrates outstanding mechanical properties through both high strength and high toughness. Nacre, therefore, is expected to be applied in fields such as lightweight structural composites and protective equipment. However, challenges like the limited material size, fabrication efficiency and flexibility impede the development. A research team led by Academician Yu Shuhong from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has reported a new strategy for preparing nacre-like ceramic-metal composites (ceramets) based on deformable alumina microspheres coated with nickel salt. The material has excellent bending strength and fracture toughness, and can be mass-produced in various shapes through simple techniques.
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