BIOMIMETICS OF BRAZIL NUTSHELL: STRUCTURE AND FAILURE ANALYSIS

• Grant number: 17/15265-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: October 01, 2017
• End date: May 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Antonio Pessan
• Grantee: Marilia Sonego
• Supervisor: Claudia Fleck
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Technical University of Berlin (TU), Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 15/25523-1 - Biomimetics of brazil nut shell: structure and failure analysis, BP.DR

Abstract

Brazil nutshell (fruit of Bertholletia excelsa) has great potencial as source of bioinspiration for impact and puncture resistant structures. Its hierarchical levels of organization have been identified and the next step is mechanically characterize the nutshell. The mechanical characterization will be made by compression test of the whole and the half nutshell, tensile and compressive C-ring test, displacement controlled tensile and compression loading test and nanoindentation. Fracture toughness (KIC) and R-curve measurements will be performed to study the toughening mechanisms developed by the brazil nutshell. These experiments will be conducted in the Technische Universität Berlin, in Germany, under the guidance of Prof. Dra. Claudia Fleck.More than mechanically characterize the brazil nutshell, it is intend to gain experience in the biomimetic field and establish international cooperation with a recognized research group. The final goal is to correlate the microstructural features with the mechanical performance of brazil nutshell and discover the mechanical principles involved to produce outstanding bioinspired polymeric composites.