Mechanics of fragmentation of crocodile skin and other thin films
Name
Buehler_Mechanics of.pdf
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1.41 MB
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Author(s)
Qin, Zhao
Pugno, Nicola M.
Buehler, Markus J.
Date Issued
May 2014
Journal
Scientific Reports
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Citation
Qin, Zhao, Nicola M. Pugno, and Markus J. Buehler. “Mechanics of Fragmentation of Crocodile Skin and Other Thin Films.” Sci. Rep. 4 (May 27, 2014).
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Fragmentation of thin layers of materials is mediated by a network of cracks on its surface. It is commonly seen in dehydrated paintings or asphalt pavements and even in graphene or other two-dimensional materials, but is also observed in the characteristic polygonal pattern on a crocodile's head. Here, we build a simple mechanical model of a thin film and investigate the generation and development of fragmentation patterns as the material is exposed to various modes of deformation. We find that the characteristic size of fragmentation, defined by the mean diameter of polygons, is strictly governed by mechanical properties of the film material. Our result demonstrates that skin fragmentation on the head of crocodiles is dominated by that it features a small ratio between the fracture energy and Young's modulus, and the patterns agree well with experimental observations. Understanding this mechanics-driven process could be applied to improve the lifetime and reliability of thin film coatings by mimicking crocodile skin.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Computational Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Materials Science and Engineering
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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep04966
