Molecular dynamics study on stiffness and ductility in chitin–protein composite
Source abstract
Abstract
Chitin-protein composite is the structural material of many marine animals including lobster, squid, and sponge. The relationship between mechanical perfor- mance and hierarchical nanostructure in those composites attracts extensive research interests. In order to study the molecular mechanism behind, we construct atomistic models of chitin-protein composite and conduct compu- tational tensile tests through molecular dynamics simula- tions. The effects of water content and chitin fiber length on the stiffness are examined. The result reveals the detrimental effect on the stiffness of chitin-protein com- posite due to the presence of water molecules. Meanwhile, it is found that the chitin-protein composite becomes stiffer as the embedded chitin fiber is longer. As the tensile deformation proceeds, the stress-strain curve features a saw-tooth appearance, which can be explained by the interlocked zigzag nanostructure between adjacent chitin fibers. These interlocked sites can sacrificially break for energy dissipation when the system undergoes large deformation, leading to an improvement of ductility.
Source: openaire · Quality: candidate unverified · Source record ↗
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Silk-based biomaterials and applications · Calcium Carbonate Crystallization and Inhibition · Polymer Surface Interaction Studies
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
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