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Spider silk is hailed by scientists for its strength and
structure, but researchers in Britain have discovered that
limpets -- snail-like sea creatures with conical shells -- have
teeth with structures so strong they could be copied and used in
making cars, boats and planes.
"Until now we thought that spider silk was the strongest
biological material because of its super-strength and potential
applications in everything from bullet-proof vests to computer
electronics," said Asa Barber, a professor at Portsmouth
University's school of engineering, who led the study.
"But now we have discovered that limpet teeth exhibit a strength
that is potentially higher."
Barber's team examined the detailed mechanical behaviour of
teeth from limpets with atomic force microscopy, a method used
to pull apart materials all the way down to the level of the
atom. They found the teeth contain a hard mineral known as
goethite, which forms in the limpet as it grows.
The research was published on Wednesday in the Royal Society's
scientific journal, Interface.
"Limpets need high-strength teeth to rasp over rock surfaces and
remove algae for feeding when the tide is in," Barber said. "We
discovered that the fibres of goethite are just the right size
to make up a resilient composite structure."
The fibrous structures found in limpet teeth could in future be
copied by materials scientists and used in high-performance
engineering applications such as Formula 1 racing cars, the
hulls of boats and the bodies of aircraft, Barber said.
(Reporting by Kate Kelland; Editing by Susan Fenton)
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