biomimetics great designs: one lubricant beats Teflon (Introduction)

by David Turell , Wednesday, July 07, 2021, 21:53 (1026 days ago) @ David Turell

Found in beetle legs:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2283348-lubricant-found-in-a-beetles-leg-is-more-s...

"A lubricant harvested from beetle legs reduces friction more than Teflon. The wax-like material could be used in microrobotics and small prosthetics, if a cost-effective way to synthesise it can be found.

"Many beetles are known to have a natural lubricant in their joints that prevents wear and tear. But Konstantin Nadein at the University of Kiel in Germany and his colleagues discovered that a species of darkling beetle called Zophobas morio has a particularly large amount of this substance, which displays unusually potent properties.

"The team found that pores in the shell of the beetle around the leg joint exude the waxy lubricant in cylinders up to 1 micrometre wide. It is spread around when the joint moves.

"Researchers harvested the protein-based substance and tested its friction-reducing ability by placing it between two small pieces of glass and measuring how much force was required to slide one over the other. The team found that friction was lowered even more than by Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene), a material used on non-stick surfaces such as frying pans.

"The research also suggests the insect lubricant has other functions. Under a high load, chunks of it deformed and created a squashable layer between two surfaces that acted like a shock absorber and prevented abrasive contact."

comment: Nature is always way ahead of us. Or should I say God?