CDS&E: From Weakness to Strength in Bio-Composite Materials by Multiscale Modeling

该奖项的研究目标是通过“强度”的悖论，分层设计具有杰出机械性能的生物复合材料。从疲软?灵感来自于自然骨骼的构造。因此，研究人员将寻求对这些天然材料更基本的了解。复杂的层次结构、尺度桥接力学和材料组件通过该奖项。这将通过以下研究活动来完成：(i)开发一种基于原子的连续体建模工具，使从原子构建块到宏观系统的材料能够同时进行多尺度建模和模拟；（ii）确定对胶原原纤维中蛋白质和矿物质界面的力学行为的系统理解；（iii）通过同时对纤维阵列和骨细胞结构进行原子/连续体研究，建立骨材料的多尺度结构-性质关系。通过建立结构层次与力学性能之间的精确关系，基于骨材料中提取的设计策略，本研究将建立高强度、高刚度、高韧性工程生物复合材料自底向上分层设计的指导方针。如果成功，本研究结果将促进对仿生复合材料的理解，并为实现设计合成仿生材料的目标提供变革性的思路，从而解决当前合成复合材料的局限性。它还将为材料科学、机械工程和各种长度尺度的材料力学领域带来新的概念。结果将提供一个独特的机会，建立一个多学科的学习和培训计划，超越学科之间的传统界限，为本科生和研究生，特别是那些来自代表性不足群体的学生，提供一个团队研究和职业发展的综合方法。此外，研究结果将被整合，以改善和丰富乔治亚大学现有的工程课程。

The research objective of this award is to hierarchically design bio-composite materials that have outstanding mechanical properties through the paradox of ?strength? from ?weakness? inspired by how natural bone is made. The researchers will therefore seek a more fundamental understanding of these natural materials? intricate hierarchical structures, scale-bridging mechanics, and material components through this award. This will be accomplished through the following research activities: (i) developing an atom-based continuum modeling tool that enables concurrent multiscale modeling and simulation of materials from atomic building blocks to macroscopic systems; (ii) determining a systematic understanding of mechanical behaviors at the interface between proteins and minerals in the collagen fibrils; (iii) establishing the multiscale structure-property relations in bone materials through the concurrent atomistic/continuum investigation of fibril arrays and the osteons structures. By establishing the precise relation between the structural hierarchy and the mechanical properties, and based on the design strategies extracted from bone materials, this research will establish guidelines for bottom-up hierarchal design of engineered bio-composite materials to have high strength, high stiffness and high toughness.If successful, the results of this research will advance the understanding of bio-inspired composites and provide transformative ideas to achieve the goal of synthesizing bio-inspired materials by design, thereby addressing current limitation of synthetic composites. It will also bring new concepts to the fields of materials science, mechanical engineering, and mechanics of materials at various length scales. The results will provide a unique opportunity to establish a multidisciplinary learning and training program that transcends the traditional boundaries between academic disciplines and offers undergraduate and graduate students, especially those from underrepresented groups, an integrated approach of team research and career development. Moreover, the results will be integrated to improve and enrich existing engineering courses at University of Georgia.