About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Bio-Nano Interfaces and Engineering Applications
|
| Presentation Title |
Multiscale Toughening Architectures in Desert Beetle Armor |
| Author(s) |
Adrian Francisco Duran Ornelas, Haitao Yu, Andrew Tran Nguyen, Joshua Charles Rensing, Junho Choi, Emi Taguchi, Nathan Lord, Paul Bardunias, Jeremiah Lipp, Melinda Ostendorf, Saketh Phani Dasika, Pablo Zavattieri, David Kisailus |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Adrian Francisco Duran Ornelas |
| Abstract Scope |
Examination of extremophile organisms offers a wealth of information to further our own understanding of novel engineering materials. Phloeodes diabolicus, colloquially known as the Diabolical Ironclad beetle (DIB), is native to southern California and often described as “uncrushable” as it features a remarkable ability withstand up to 39,000 times its own body weight. The elytra of the DIB consists of inherently weak materials that are assembled at multiple length scales to provide significant strength and toughness. We have investigated the ultrastructural, architectural, and chemical interfaces across the length scales through electron microscopy, chemical mapping, and mechanical testing to understand the mechanisms of toughening within the beetle. Our findings provide valuable insights towards the manufacturing and validation of biomimetic analogs that take advantage of multiscale beetle architectures to maximize their mechanical performance. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Biomaterials, Characterization, Additive Manufacturing |