Scientists believe the strongest material on Earth can be found in the teeth of sea snails.
Limpets were found to have teeth containing biological structures so strong they could be used to build cars and even airplanes, the University of Portsmouth reported. To make their findings, the researchers employed a method called atomic force microscopy, which dissects materials down to the level of atoms.
"Until now we thought that spider silk was the strongest biological material because of its super-strength and potential applications in everything from bullet-proof vests to computer electronics but now we have discovered that limpet teeth exhibit a strength that is potentially higher," said study leader professor Asa Barber from the university's school of engineering.
The research team determined the teeth contained a super-hard mineral called goethite. These teeth are believed to have developed so the limpet could move across rocky surfaces and scrape algae off their surfaces for sustenance. The researchers also found these incredible structures were the perfect size to make a composite structure.
The findings showed limpet teeth pack the same punch regardless of their size. In most materials, a larger size can indicate more room for flaws, causing it to break more easily; this is not true for limpet teeth. The limpet teeth used in the study were even thinner than a human hair.
"The testing methods were important as we needed to break the limpet tooth. The whole tooth is slightly less than a millimetre long but is curved, so the strength is dependent on both the shape of the tooth and the material. We wanted to understand the material strength only so we had to cut out a smaller volume of material out of the curved tooth structure," Barber said.
"This discovery means that the fibrous structures found in limpet teeth could be mimicked and used in high-performance engineering applications such as Formula 1 racing cars, the hulls of boats and aircraft structures," Barber said. "Engineers are always interested in making these structures stronger to improve their performance or lighter so they use less material."
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Interface.
