Protection mechanisms of the iron-plated armor of a deep sea hydrothermal vent gastropod

Biological exoskeletons, in particular those with unusually robust and multifunctional properties, hold enormous potential for the development of improved load-bearing and protective engineering materials. Here, we report new materials and mechanical design principles of the iron-plated multilayered structure of the natural armor of Crysomallon squamiferum, a recently discovered gastropod mollusc from the Kairei Indian hydrothermal vent field, which is unlike any other known natural or synthetic engineered armor. We have determined through nanoscale experiments and computational simulations of a predatory attack that the specific combination of different materials, microstructures, interfacial geometries, gradation, and layering are advantageous for penetration resistance, energy dissipation, mitigation of fracture and crack arrest, reduction of back deflections, and resistance to bending and tensile loads. The structure-property-performance relationships described are expected to be of technological interest for a variety of civilian and defense applications.National Science Foundation (U.S.)Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Materials Science and Engineering (DMR-0819762)Singapore-MIT Alliance (Advanced Materials for Micro and Nano Systems Programme)Singapore-MIT Alliance (Computational Systems Biology Programme)Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (Contract DAAD-19-02-D0002)Raytheon CompanyUnited States. Dept. of Defense ((National Defense Science and Engineering Fellowship (N00244–09–1–0064))Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (Interdisciplinary Research Group on Infectious Diseases