About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Biological Materials Science
|
| Presentation Title |
Integration of Chemical and Architectural Features Enable Crush Resistance in Soldier Termite Mandibles |
| Author(s) |
Andrew Nguyen, Adrian Ornelas, Herry Fang, Haitao Yu, Junho Choi, Paul Bardunias, Nathan Lord, David Kisailus |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Andrew Nguyen |
| Abstract Scope |
Many biological systems produce mechanically robust composites through controlled assembly and chemistry of fiber and matrix components. One example is found in the damage-tolerant crushing mandibles of an aggressive Floridian dampwood soldier termite, Neotermes jouteli. The properties of these structures are based on the careful orchestration of architected ultrastructural elements surrounded by a protein matrix with metal-ligand coordination to enhance hardness, which provides a lightweight alternative to heavier biomineralized structures. We utilize a combination of microscopy, spectroscopy and nanomechanics to reveal how these multiscale architectural designs enable this impressive performance and mitigate damage. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Biomaterials, Composites, Mechanical Properties |