Biomimicking of hierarchal molluscan shell structure via layer by layer 3D printing

Nature armors possess remarkable mechanical properties which results in an ingenious combination of strength and toughness by the virtue of a hierarchical layered microstructure composed of mineral tablets interleaved with organic biomaterials. Here we have demonstrated the unified approach for elucidating the effect of architectural design and its parameter on the mechanical property of dimensionally controlled 3D prototyping of poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene) tri block copolymer. The manipulation of tablet orientation, tailoring the site-specific positions, and interfacially fused interlocks possess the ability to augment the mechanical characteristics of the material. Therefore, it has been observed that the bulk property of the printed ABS sample mainly depends on the type of molluscan shell architecture. For instance, an enhancement in impact (-45 J/m) and wear properties (friction constant = 0.50 and wear rate 0.00012 × 10-9m3/Nm) was observed for crossed laminar aragonites compared to the other hierarchical structures. In this work, we have demonstrated the possibility of utilizing naturally available molluscan shell design to alter the mechanical property of 3D printed ABS.