conchshell

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  • Melanie Gonick/MIT

    Conch shells hold the secret to impact-resistant armor

    by 
    Mariella Moon
    Mariella Moon
    05.28.2017

    The conch shell is made of the same material as chalk, but unlike the crumbly rock, it's one of the toughest materials out there. If we can understand why it's so tough, we can mimic it to create nearly unbreakable materials that can be used for safety gear, and in construction, aerospace and other industries. Now, a team of researchers from MIT have developed a 3D printing technology that allowed them to duplicate the conch shell's structure and to test it more closely in the lab.