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On the tear resistance of skin

Author

Listed:
  • Wen Yang

    (Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California)

  • Vincent R. Sherman

    (Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California)

  • Bernd Gludovatz

    (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • Eric Schaible

    (Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • Polite Stewart

    (Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • Robert O. Ritchie

    (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    University of California)

  • Marc A. Meyers

    (Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California
    University of California
    University of California)

Abstract

Tear resistance is of vital importance in the various functions of skin, especially protection from predatorial attack. Here, we mechanistically quantify the extreme tear resistance of skin and identify the underlying structural features, which lead to its sophisticated failure mechanisms. We explain why it is virtually impossible to propagate a tear in rabbit skin, chosen as a model material for the dermis of vertebrates. We express the deformation in terms of four mechanisms of collagen fibril activity in skin under tensile loading that virtually eliminate the possibility of tearing in pre-notched samples: fibril straightening, fibril reorientation towards the tensile direction, elastic stretching and interfibrillar sliding, all of which contribute to the redistribution of the stresses at the notch tip.

Suggested Citation

  • Wen Yang & Vincent R. Sherman & Bernd Gludovatz & Eric Schaible & Polite Stewart & Robert O. Ritchie & Marc A. Meyers, 2015. "On the tear resistance of skin," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-10, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms7649
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7649
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    Cited by:

    1. Amir J. Bidhendi & Olivier Lampron & Frédérick P. Gosselin & Anja Geitmann, 2023. "Cell geometry regulates tissue fracture," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Cui, Shuang & Ahn, Chihyung & Wingert, Matthew C. & Leung, David & Cai, Shengqiang & Chen, Renkun, 2016. "Bio-inspired effective and regenerable building cooling using tough hydrogels," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 332-339.
    3. Jiqiang Wang & Baohu Wu & Peng Wei & Shengtong Sun & Peiyi Wu, 2022. "Fatigue-free artificial ionic skin toughened by self-healable elastic nanomesh," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.

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