Designed for the enhancement of structure mechanostability and strength: Suture-serrate margins of bivalve shells

Abstract

Through biological evolution, bivalve mollusks developed shells to improve the utilization of metabolic energy and provide protection against external threats. In addition to the mechanical optimization of the microstructure, the design of the macroscopic shape of a bivalve shell naturally becomes a potential approach to achieving the aforementioned purposes. While the functions of some features of mollusk shells have been studied, the role of the suture-serrate margins, a common morphology of bivalve shell edges, in the global mechanical behaviors of bivalve shells requires further exploration. Here, we present how the serrate margins contribute to the global mechanical properties of bivalve shells. The results of the compression tests employed on a typical bivalve, M. mercenaria, showed that the complete bivalve shells with suture-serrate margins perform better in terms of strength and work to fracture than those without the margins under the same conditions (dry and wet). The primary failure types observed during compression reveal that the failure mechanisms of valve shells are dependent on the suture-serrate margin morphology and water content. Using numerical simulations, the mechanical functions of the suture-serrate margins were demonstrated. Specifically, serrate margins provide mutual resistance by “locking” complementary valves to redistribute and eliminate stress concentrations around pre-existing defects, thereby enhancing the mechanostability and strength of the entire structure.