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High-density polyethylene (HDPE) thin films, while inherently ductile, exhibit poor flaw tolerance. Our experiments show that they fail prematurely not at the point of maximum stretch, but at the boundary of a necked region or notch-tip…
Many organisms exhibit branching morphologies that twist around each other and become entangled. Entanglement occurs when different objects interlock, creating complex and often irreversible configurations. This physical phenomenon is…
Although 3D printing has the potential to transform manufacturing processes, the strength of printed parts often does not rival that of traditionally-manufactured parts. The fused-filament fabrication method involves melting a…
A fundamental challenge in soft material design is the competition between rigidity and dynamicity, as stiffening mechanisms typically suppress energy dissipation. Here, we demonstrate that starch granules serve as instructive scaffolds…
Crumpling of a thin film leads to a unique stiff yet lightweight structure. The stiffness has been attributed to a complex interplay between four basic elements - smooth bends, sharp folds, localized points (developable cones), and…
As far as the tensile properties of natural fibres as reinforcements for composites are concerned, flax fibres will stay at the top-end. However, an efficient conversion of fibre properties into their corresponding composite properties has…
The study is devoted to the geometrically nonlinear simulation of fiber-reinforced composite structures. The applicability of the multiplicative approach to the simulation of viscoelastic properties of a composite material is assessed,…
We consider multi-chain protein native structures and propose a criterion that determines whether two chains in the system are entangled or not. The criterion is based on the behavior observed by pulling at both temini of each chain…
Large-scale simulations of thermal welding of polymers are performed to investigate the rise of mechanical strength at the polymer-polymer interface with the welding time. The welding process is in the core of integrating polymeric elements…
In this paper, the impact behaviour of composite laminates is investigated, and their potential for ballistic protection assessed, as a function of the reinforcing materials and structures for three representative fibre-reinforced epoxy…
Understanding the fracture mechanisms in composite materials across scales, from nano- to micro-scales, is essential for an in-depth understanding of the reinforcement mechanisms and designing the next generation of lightweight,…
Structural cellular materials in nature, such as wood, trabecular bone, corals, and dentin combine complex biological functions with structural roles, such as skeletal support and impact protection1,2. They feature complex structural…
Shells, i.e., objects made of a thin layer of material following a surface, are among the most common structures in use. They are highly efficient, in terms of material required to maintain strength, but also prone to deformation and…
Structures formed by fused filament fabrication are often substantially weaker than those made with conventional techniques, and fail at the welds between successive layers. One factor that may influence strength is flow-induced alignment…
Natural hard composites like human bone possess a combination of strength and toughness that exceeds that of their constituents and of many engineered composites. This augmentation is attributed to their complex hierarchical structure,…
Grasping, in both biological and engineered mechanisms, can be highly sensitive to the gripper and object morphology, as well as perception, and motion planning. Here we circumvent the need for feedback or precise planning by using an array…
Heterostructured (HS) materials exhibit excellent mechanical properties, combining high strength and significant ductility. Hetero-deformation-induced (HDI) hardening and strain de-localization are key to their strength-ductility synergy.…
Fibre jamming is a relatively new and understudied soft robotic mechanism that has previously found success when used in stiffness-tuneable arms and fingers. However, to date researchers have not fully taken advantage of the freedom offered…
Simulations are used to examine the microscopic origins of strain hardening in polymer glasses. While traditional entropic network models can be fit to the total stress, their underlying assumptions are inconsistent with simulation results.…
We study how the three-dimensional shape of rigid filaments determines the microscopic dynamics and macroscopic rheology of entangled semi-dilute Brownian suspensions. To control the filament shape we use bacterial flagella, which are…