Strength is shore thing for sea shell scientists

Scientists have made synthetic 'sea shells' from a mixture of chalk and polystyrene cups - and produced a tough new material that could make our homes and offices more durable. A team of materials scientists and chemists have taken inspiration from sea shells found on the beach to create a composite material from dissimilar 'ingredients'. Their technique could be used to make ceramics with high resistance to cracking - which could in turn be used in crack-resistant building materials and bone replacements. Writing in the journal , scientists from The University of Manchester and The University of Leeds report that they have successfully reinforced calcium carbonate, or chalk, with polystyrene particles that are used to make drinks cups. They have developed an effective method of combining calcite crystals with polystyrene particles - and have found this makes the material more ductile compared to its original brittle form. They report that the polystyrene also acts as a toughening agent, assisting the prevention of the growth of cracks. Scientists also observed that when the reinforced material cracked, the polymer lengthened within the cracks - a well-known mechanism for absorbing energy and enhancing toughness.