Finite Element Simulation of Nacre's Resilient Brick-Mortar Microstructure

This project was done as part of a internship at ISRO's Academic unit, IIST under the guidance of Prof. Anup S. How can a biological material like nacre, often found in mollusc shells, achieve such remarkable strength and toughness despite microscopic variations? This project employed Finite Element Analysis and a Tension-Shear-Chain model, combined with the Virtual Internal Bond concept, to simulate nacre's brick-mortar structure under tensile loading, revealing how its unique architecture actively suppresses microstructural randomness. This insight into bio-inspired design is a step towards creating advanced materials with enhanced mechanical properties and improved resilience.