Unraveling the orientation-dependent mechanics of dental enamel in the red-necked wallaby

Wilmers J, Wurmshuber M, Gescher C, Graupp CM, Kiener D, Bargmann S (2024)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2024

Journal

Acta Biomaterialia Elsevier

DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.07.004

Abstract

Dental enamels of different species exhibit a wide variety of microstructural patterns that are attractive to mimic in bioinspired composites to simultaneously achieve high stiffness and superior toughness. Non-human enamel types, however, have not yet received the deserved attention and their mechanical behaviour is largely unknown. Using nanoindentation tests and finite element modelling, we investigate the mechanical behaviour of Macropus rufogriseus enamel, revealing a dominating influence of the microstructure on the effective mechanical behaviour and allowing insight into structural dependencies. We find a shallow gradient in stiffness and low degree of anisotropy over the enamel thickness that is attributed to the orientation and size of microstructural features. Most notably, M. rufogriseus’s modified radial enamel has a far simpler structural pattern than other species’, but achieves great property amplification. It is therefore a very promising template for biomimetic design.

Authors with CRIS profile

Michael Wurmshuber Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Allgemeine Werkstoffeigenschaften)

Involved external institutions

Bergische Universität Wuppertal DE Germany (DE) Montanuniversität Leoben AT Austria (AT)

How to cite

APA:

Wilmers, J., Wurmshuber, M., Gescher, C., Graupp, C.-M., Kiener, D., & Bargmann, S. (2024). Unraveling the orientation-dependent mechanics of dental enamel in the red-necked wallaby. Acta Biomaterialia. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2024.07.004

MLA:

Wilmers, Jana, et al. "Unraveling the orientation-dependent mechanics of dental enamel in the red-necked wallaby." Acta Biomaterialia (2024).

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