Watch: Can biological materials inspire better engineering materials?

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 17:53:14 +0000

Watch: Can biological materials inspire better engineering materials? Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/23/2022 - 11:53

Francois Barthelat

Department of Mechanical Engineering Professor Francois Barthelat:
Can seashells, fish fins and other biological materials inspire better engineering materials for the future?

Abstract: Current progress in materials science allows us to manipulate the chemistry and micro-architecture of engineering materials towards desired properties. Still, no matter how skilled we are at these techniques, we cannot compete with the advanced materials made by nature for eons. Can nature teach us new tricks to improve the design and capabilities of engineering materials? The answer is a resounding yes and interestingly, some of these tricks are quite counterintuitive.

In this webinar, Professor Francois Barthelat will discuss how patterns of weak regions within mollusk shells and teeth actually makes these materials extremely tough - which inspired his group to create a new type of toughened glass. He will also demonstrate how smaller is not necessarily stronger for fish scales, which inspired new flexible protective gloves, and how the complex structure and mechanics of fish fins could inspire the next generation of soft robotic materials.

Bio: After obtaining his PhD from Northwestern University in 2006, Professor Barthelat founded the Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Bioinspiration at McGill University to explore key structures and mechanisms in natural materials, and to develop new bioinspired, high-performance materials. In 2019 he moved his research activities to CU Boulder. His methods combine theoretical mechanics, numerical modeling, optimization, fabrication and experimental mechanics. Barthelat and his students have discovered new deformation and fracture mechanisms in biological materials including bone, mollusk shells and fish scales. Recently they have also started to explore the mechanics of fish fins as inspiration for next generation morphing materials, and of granular assembly as a pathway to high-performance engineering materials. In parallel, they have pioneered new bioinspired materials designs and innovative material fabrication methods which they are now implementing in engineering applications.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffzW3fZIC1E]

Watch Department of Mechanical Engineering Professor Francois Barthelat give a seminar on how studying mollusk shells and teeth inspired his group to create a new type of toughened glass.

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ME Course Column: Mechanics of Snow

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 15:45:29 +0000

ME Course Column: Mechanics of Snow Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/17/2022 - 09:45

Rachel Leuthauser

The ME Course Column is a recurring publication about the unique classes and labs that mechanical engineers can take while at the University of Colorado Boulder. Follow the series to understand the core curriculum, discover elective course options and learn the broad applications of mechanical engineering skills.

Most mechanical engineers will work with materials such as metals, polymers, ceramics and composites during their careers. However, a course taught by Department of Mechanical Engineering Professors Francois Barthelat and Franck Vernerey asks students to draw inspiration from another material – snow.

“I am a backcountry skier and as such, you have to learn a lot about avalanches and take courses for safety,” Vernerey said. “You realize there is so much mechanics involved with snow.”

Above: Professors Francois Barthelat and Franck Vernerey
Header image: Barthelat and Vernerey guide students through a slide test.

MCEN 4228/5228: Mechanics of Snow motivates students to look at their environment and the materials around them in an analytical way. The idea behind the course is to teach students the science behind certain phenomena by looking at the fundamentals of snow and ice from the atomic level to the mechanics of the snowpack.

“Snow in itself is an interesting material to study, you do not necessarily think of looking at snow in the context of mechanics of materials, but there is a lot to learn from this approach,” Barthelat said. “This is a great a way to expose students to state-of-the-art experimental and modeling techniques that people use in engineering.”

While studying the properties of natural versus artificial snow, the mechanics of sliding on skis and snowboards, or the conditions that trigger avalanches, students also master theoretical tools such as fracture mechanics and heat transfer. They also learn about the relationship between molecular structures, thermodynamics, and micromechanics, including viscoelasticity.

The professors explained that applying these critical engineering concepts to snow helps students better understand the information. It allows them to see that these concepts are real and happening in our environment.

“We often teach mechanics of materials and students are not always connected to the course because they have not worked with the materials before,” Vernerey said. “They learn the equations but may have difficulties connecting them to the real world. This course allows them to better connect because they already have an idea about the material. They are much more motivated to learn.”

Mechanical engineering students conduct slide tests on a snowboard.

Students in Mechanics of Snow conducted their own research out in the elements on March 10, after Boulder received about four inches of snow. They measured the densities of the fresh and old snow, assessed their compressive strength and calculated the snow’s coefficients of friction on skis and snowboards.

The class will take one more field trip outside to conduct strength and fracture tests on the snow before completing final projects to wrap up the semester. Some students are looking at avalanche conditions, while others are studying the impact mechanics of snowballs or snow construction such as igloos and walls.

“A big takeaway from this course is that students will be exposed to a vast number of topics in engineering and physics,” Barthelat said. “If they need these in their professional life later on, they know that the concepts exist and where to find more information.”

Mechanics of Snow is a technical elective open to upper-level undergraduate and graduate mechanical engineering students.

View all the Mechanical Engineering Technical Elective Courses

MCEN 4228/5228: Mechanics of Snow motivates students to look at natural materials in an analytical way. The idea behind the course is to teach students the science behind certain phenomena by looking at the fundamentals of snow and ice from the atomic level to the mechanics of the snowpack.

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