Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
4 min of reading 
0 comments 
New Cement Inspired by Shells Is 17 Times Stronger. Discovery Could Transform Civil Engineering and Increase Durability of Structures
Cement is an essential part of the modern world. Buildings, bridges, and roads depend on it. But this material also carries a huge environmental weight. The cement industry is responsible for up to 5% of human carbon dioxide emissions on the planet. Now, research is seeking an alternative. Scientists found inspiration in an unusual place: sea shells.
The Hidden Strength in Shells
At the center of this idea is nacre. Also known as mother-of-pearl, this material is known for its luster and strength. It lines the interior of many shells and serves as a natural defense against cracking.
The secret of nacre lies in its structure. It is made up of small layers of aragonite — a brittle mineral — combined with a flexible organic glue. When the shell is pressed, the layers slide over each other, spreading the force. This prevents the crack from advancing.
-
Scientists caught a water vapor explosion on Mars exactly when it shouldn’t have happened: an unexpected dust storm launched the water to an altitude of 80 kilometers and accelerated the escape of hydrogen into space by 2.5 times.
-
The Brazilian Navy launched the NPa Mangaratiba (P-73) on April 27: a 54.2 m Macaé-class patrol vessel, with 43 crew members, 6 days of autonomy, and a range of 4,000 km to monitor the entire Blue Amazon.
-
Chinese scientists have identified 122 viable asteroids for large-scale asteroid mining and outlined the Tiangong Kaiwu plan to explore space water ice and metals throughout the Solar System by 2100.
-
Does compulsive lying exist? What does science know about mythomania and why does it go beyond ‘lying too much’?
This structure caught the attention of researcher Shashank Gupta, a graduate student, and Professor Reza Moini, from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. They tried to copy this idea in cement.
How the Cement Was Transformed
To do this, the scientists created thin sheets of cement paste. They then used a laser to make hexagonal grooves in the sheets. These marks mimicked the layers of aragonite found in nacre. In some cases, the grooves completely separated the sheet into small blocks.
These blocks of cement were then joined with a type of polymer — similar to rubber — that acted as the glue of nacre. It allowed the blocks to move slightly. This movement was enough to disperse the stress when the cement was forced.
A New Type of Resistance
“If we can design concrete to resist crack propagation, we can make it more resilient, safe, and durable“, said researcher Shashank Gupta, a graduate student in Reza Moini’s laboratory at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Tests showed encouraging results. The new material performed much better than regular cement. Beams made with traditional cement broke abruptly, with large cracks.
In contrast, the nacre-inspired beams developed small cracks that spread slowly. They bent more before breaking.
The scientists tested three versions of the material. The most efficient was the one with fully separated layers. This version withstood 19 times more stress before breaking and had a fracture toughness 17 times greater than traditional cement.
What Makes This Special
Typically, attempts to reinforce cement involve changing the chemical composition or adding fibers. This often results in only minor improvements. In this case, the main ingredient — Portland cement — was hardly altered. The innovation lies in how the material was structured.
“Our bioinspired approach is not just about mimicking nature’s microstructure, but learning from the underlying principles,” said Moini. “We intentionally design defects in brittle materials as a way to make them stronger by design.“
Cement and concrete often break easily under pressure. This is a problem in situations like impacts, earthquakes, or wear over time. Moini’s team found a way to address this weakness by reorganizing the internal elements of the cement.
The Research Is Still in Its Beginning
Despite the promising results, the research is still in its early stages. Tests were conducted with small samples. This raises questions about large-scale use.
One concern is whether the polymer will withstand time, humidity, and cold. There is also the cost factor. If the new material is too expensive, it may not be worth it compared to regular cement.
Even so, the idea has potential. The material can be used in high-risk areas, such as constructions prone to earthquakes or structures that need to endure strong impacts.
The team believes that the study is just the beginning. “We are just scratching the surface; there will be numerous design possibilities to explore and to design the constitutive properties of hard and soft materials, interfaces, and geometric aspects that influence the fundamental size effects in building materials,” concludes Moini.
The work shows that nature can offer valuable solutions to modern problems. And that, with creativity and science, even a simple shell can help build a stronger and more sustainable world.
With information from ZME Science.
Seja o primeiro a reagir!