Pervasive nanoscale deformation twinning as a catalyst for efficient energy dissipation in a bioceramic armour

Hierarchical composite materials design in biological exoskeletons achieves penetration resistance through a variety of energy-dissipating mechanisms while simultaneously balancing the need for damage localization to avoid compromising the mechanical integrity of the entire structure and to maintain multi-hit capability. Here, we show that the shell of the bivalve Placuna placenta (similar to 99 wt% calcite), which possesses the unique optical property of similar to 80% total transmission of visible light, simultaneously achieves penetration resistance and deformation localization via increasing energy dissipation density (0.290 +/- 0.072 nJ mu m(3)) by approximately an order of magnitude relative to single-crystal geological calcite (0.034 +/- 0.013 nJ mu m(3)). P. placenta, which is composed of a layered assembly of elongated diamond-shaped calcite crystals, undergoes pervasive nanoscale deformation twinning (width similar to 50 nm) surrounding the penetration zone, which catalyses a series of additional inelastic energy dissipating mechanisms such as interfacial and intracrystalline nanocracking, viscoplastic stretching of interfacial organic material, and nanograin formation and reorientation.