Mechanical properties of the elemental nanocomponents of nacre structure

Philippe Stempflé (1) , Olivier Pantalé (2) , Marthe Rousseau (3) , Evelyne Lopez (3) , Xavier Bourrat (4)

1 FEMTO-ST - Franche-Comté Électronique Mécanique, Thermique et Optique - Sciences et Technologies (UMR 6174)
2 INP/ENIT
3 BOME - Biologie des organismes marins et écosystèmes
4 ISTO - Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans

Sheet nacre is a nanocomposite with a multiscale structure displaying a lamellar “bricks and mortar” microarchitecture. In this latter, the brick refer to aragonite platelets and the mortar to a soft organic biopolymer. However, it appears that each brick is also a nanocomposite constituted as CaCO3 nanoparticles reinforced organic composite material. What is the role of this “intracrystalline” organic phase in the deformation of platelet? How does this nanostructure control the mechanical behaviour of sheet nacre at the macroscale? To answer these questions, the mechanical properties of each nanocomponents are successively investigated and computed using spherical and sharp nanoindentation tests combined with a structural model of the organomineral platelets built from AFM investigations.

Keywords: Mother of pearl; Nanoindentation; AFM image analysis; Biocrystals; Aragonite platelets

Domains: Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Continental interfaces, environment; Environmental Sciences; Global Changes

Philippe Stempflé, Olivier Pantalé, Marthe Rousseau, Evelyne Lopez, Xavier Bourrat. Mechanical properties of the elemental nanocomponents of nacre structure. Materials Science and Engineering: C, 2010, 30 (5), pp.715-721. ⟨10.1016/j.msec.2010.03.003⟩. ⟨insu-00488486⟩