Modelling biomimetic nacreous composite

• Main Author: Lim, Wei Teng
• Other Authors: Su Haibin
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/55804
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The structure of natural nacre has been widely studied on due to its exceptional mechanical properties. This project is an attempt to model and study a biomimetic nacreous composite using the simulation software ANSYS Mechanical APDL 14.0. In this study, the hard phase material of the composite is chosen to be Zirconia and the soft phase material is chosen to be Polylactic acid. The effects of the variation in aspect ratio and volume fraction of the hard phase are analysed and the key parameter that is looked into in this project is the Young’s Modulus of the composite. Both results of aspect ratio and volume fraction indicated that with the increase in either function, it will result in the increase of the Young’s Modulus. However, both function exhibits different trends, the increase in aspect ratio forms a logarithmic growth while the increase in volume fraction forms an exponential growth. Although in this project, it is successful in identifying the effects of the various functions with respect to the composite’s Young’s Modulus, various limitations may restrict the accuracy of the results. For example, the 3 dimension of the composite is not taken into consideration. In conclusion, the findings may be useful in the biological implantation industry since both Zirconia and Polylactic acid are widely used in biological applications.