Biologically inspired innovation: a review on structural materials and manufacturing

Abstract

Several natural materials have demonstrated excellent mechanical performance and have abundant resources and friendly chemistry. Additionally, these materials have evolved to have optimized weight and maximized strength and energy absorption at the macro-, micro- and nanostructural levels. However, engineers still face challenges regarding the same issues. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the current literature on structural materials and their manufacturing methods. In this regard, a review was conducted to assess the extent of the literature in local databases through a research question and Boolean operators. The results were classified into four main categories, plastic, metals, ceramic composite materials and organism-oriented structural materials, and their mechanical properties (energy absorption, fracture toughness, stiffness) are discussed. The results of this study can be generalized and easily comprehended by scientists, innovators, researchers and the public. This review discusses structural materials for which enhancement of mechanical properties is of vital importance. Finally, this study illustrates how bioinspiration provides a powerful tool for tuning the mechanical properties of diverse materials through structural arrangement with no significant modification to the composition of the constituent materials. Moreover, it addresses trends in manufacturing processing routes and their scalability to drive further innovation in the field.