About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Biological Materials Science
|
| Presentation Title |
Structural and Thermal Analyses of the Porous Vesicles in Avian Eggshells |
| Author(s) |
Yang Geng, Zhifei Deng, David Ocampo, Mary Stoddard, Ling Li |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Yang Geng |
| Abstract Scope |
Avian eggshells are essential biomineralized structures that protect and support developing embryos. While the mechanical and permeability properties of eggshells have been extensively studied, the thermal implications of their microstructures, specifically the vesicles within the Palisade layer, remain underexplored, although thermal properties are critical in the incubation process. In this study, eggshells from over 65 avian species were examined to quantify vesicle structure via scanning electron microscopy and synchrotron light-sourced nano-computed tomography. Numerical modeling and theoretical calculations were then conducted to evaluate the effects of the vesicles on the overall thermal performance of eggshells. It showed that vesicle-rich eggshells exhibit lower thermal conductivity and a slower cooling rate. Additionally, the cross-species analysis revealed correlations between vesicle distribution, eggshell thickness, and species-specific incubation strategies. These results broaden the current understanding of avian eggshells’ multifunctionality and suggest that thermal regulation might have contributed to the evolutionary diversification of eggshell structures. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Biomaterials, |