On the Stability of Amorphous Minerals in Lobster Cuticle

In situ X-ray diffraction during heating oflobster cuticle reveals three regions of thermally induced transformations: 1) Chitin decomposition, 2) amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) - calcite transformation, and 3) amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) - hydroxyapatite transformation. These results provide new insights into the stabilization mechanisms of amorphous biominerals based on ACC and ACP.