Fracture mechanics of the endocarp of Cocos nucifera

Schmier, Stefanie; Jentzsch, Maximilian; Speck, Thomas; Thielen, Marc

doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2020.108944

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…2b), by contrast, is a mixed tissue, containing both fibres and sclereids (besides vasculature) (Gludovatz et al ., 2017; Schmier et al ., 2020a). However, the lignified sclereids and fibres are arranged without a consistent directional pattern, which results in a static shell with a high toughness (energy absorption) and high compressive strength (Schmier et al ., 2020b). Based on the colouring of the unstained tissue (Fig.…”

Section: Tissue Anatomy Drives Mechanical Functionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional packaging of seeds

Huss

Gierlinger

2021

New Phytologist

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Summary The encapsulation of seeds in hard coats and fruit walls (pericarp layers) fulfils protective and dispersal functions in many plant families. In angiosperms, packaging structures possess a remarkable range of different morphologies and functionalities, as illustrated by thermo and hygro‐responsive seed pods and appendages, as well as mechanically strong and water‐impermeable shells. Key to these different functionalities are characteristic structural arrangements and chemical modifications of the underlying sclerenchymatous tissues. Although many ecological aspects of hard seed encapsulation have been well documented, a detailed understanding of the relationship between tissue structure and function only recently started to emerge, especially in the context of environmentally driven fruit opening and seed dispersal (responsive encapsulations) and the outstanding durability of some seed coats and indehiscent fruits (static encapsulations). In this review, we focus on the tissue properties of these two systems, with particular consideration of water interactions, mechanical resistance, and force generation. Common principles, as well as unique adaptations, are discussed in different plant species. Understanding how plants integrate a broad range of functions and properties for seed protection during storage and dispersal plays a central role for seed conservation, population dynamics, and plant‐based material developments.

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Section: Tissue Anatomy Drives Mechanical Functionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional packaging of seeds

Huss

Gierlinger

2021

New Phytologist

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“…In addition, the mechanical properties of endocarp are improved with the age and particular orientations, hence becoming more anisotropic [ 7 ]. In the latitude direction, old coconut endocarp exhibits great damage tolerant properties, such as 82% higher strength and >50% higher crack growth toughness than those of the younger endocarp [ 14 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cellulose–Hemicellulose–Lignin Interaction in the Secondary Cell Wall of Coconut Endocarp

Mazumder

Zhang

2023

Biomimetics

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The coconut shell consists of three distinct layers: the skin-like outermost exocarp, the thick fibrous mesocarp, and the hard and tough inner endocarp. In this work, we focused on the endocarp because it features a unique combination of superior properties, including low weight, high strength, high hardness, and high toughness. These properties are usually mutually exclusive in synthesized composites. The microstructures of the secondary cell wall of the endocarp at the nanoscale, in which cellulose microfibrils are surrounded by hemicellulose and lignin, were generated. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations with PCFF force field were conducted to investigate the deformation and failure mechanisms under uniaxial shear and tension. Steered molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to study the interaction between different types of polymer chains. The results demonstrated that cellulose–hemicellulose and cellulose–lignin exhibit the strongest and weakest interactions, respectively. This conclusion was further validated against the DFT calculations. Additionally, through shear simulations of sandwiched polymer models, it was found that cellulose–hemicellulose-cellulose exhibits the highest strength and toughness, while cellulose–lignin-cellulose shows the lowest strength and toughness among all tested cases. This conclusion was further confirmed by uniaxial tension simulations of sandwiched polymer models. It was revealed that hydrogen bonds formed between the polymer chains are responsible for the observed strengthening and toughening behaviors. Additionally, it was interesting to note that failure mode under tension varies with the density of amorphous polymers located between cellulose bundles. The failure mode of multilayer polymer models under tension was also investigated. The findings of this work could potentially provide guidelines for the design of coconut-inspired lightweight cellular materials.

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“…Many biological tissues and devices have been systematically studied due to their remarkable engineering properties e.g., the toughness of the coconut endocarp [ 1 , 2 ] or the fire resistance of particular barks [ 3 ] with the objective of solving technical problems. In recent years, more and more of these natural materials have been systematically studied with the objective of solving technical problems using abstraction, transfer and application of knowledge gained from biological models [ 4 , 5 , 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Plant-Like Structure of Lance Sea Urchin Spines as Biomimetic Concept Generator for Freeze-Casted Structural Graded Ceramics

Klang

Nickel

2021

Biomimetics

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The spine of the lance sea urchin (Phyllacanthus imperialis) is an unusual plant-akin hierarchical lightweight construction with several gradation features: a basic core–shell structure is modified in terms of porosities, pore orientation and pore size, forming superstructures. Differing local strength and energy consumption features create a biomimetic potential for the construction of porous ceramics with predetermined breaking points and adaptable behavior in compression overload. We present a new detailed structural and failure analysis of those spines and demonstrate that it is possible to include at least a limited number of those features in an abstracted way in ceramics, manufactured by freeze-casting. This possibility is shown to come from a modified mold design and optimized suspensions.

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Fracture mechanics of the endocarp of Cocos nucifera

Cited by 10 publications

References 33 publications

Functional packaging of seeds

Functional packaging of seeds

Cellulose–Hemicellulose–Lignin Interaction in the Secondary Cell Wall of Coconut Endocarp

The Plant-Like Structure of Lance Sea Urchin Spines as Biomimetic Concept Generator for Freeze-Casted Structural Graded Ceramics

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