Small But Extremely Tough

@article{Tanner2012SmallBE,
  title={Small But Extremely Tough},
  author={K. Elizabeth Tanner},
  journal={Science},
  year={2012},
  volume={336},
  pages={1237 - 1238}
}
The extreme strength and toughness of a natural material from a marine shrimp can be explained by its intricate layered structure. Anyone interested in keeping the stomatopod Odontodactylus scyllarus (1), commonly known as the peacock or harlequin mantis shrimp (see the first figure), will soon discover that these crustaceans should not be kept in glass aquaria. The force generated with the dactyl club—a 5-mm-wide appendage used by the shrimp to smash the shells of their prey—can reach 500 N… 
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Biomimetic Hard Materials
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The common design motifs of a range of natural structural materials are reviewed, and the difficulties associated with the design and fabrication of synthetic structures that mimic the structural and mechanical characteristics of their natural counterparts are discussed.
3D Printing of Bioinspired Structural Materials with Fibers Induced by Doctor Blading Process
Fiber is a crucial element in biological micro-structural materials. Replication of fiber-reinforced composites with analogous architectures of their natural counterparts has caused widespread…
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