Divine Protection: Unveiling the Power of Amazing Abalone Armour

Amazing Abalone Armour

Abalones are shellfish known for their delicious meat and the vibrant colors of their inner shells. The Maori people of New Zealand refer to them as paua and even create exquisite jewelry from their shells. However, scientists are fascinated by more than just their beauty. They are intrigued by the incredible strength of abalone shells and hope to learn from their design to create body armor. This field of study, where technology imitates the designs found in nature, is called biomimetics.

Abalone Growth

The abalone shell is made up of two types of calcium carbonate: calcite for the rough exterior and aragonite for the smooth interior, also known as nacre or mother-of-pearl. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have discovered how the inside shell of an abalone grows and why it is so strong. To conduct their study, they inserted very thin glass slides into the growing shell, which the abalone accepted and grew new shell on top. They then removed the slides at different time intervals to examine the material using an electron microscope.

The abalone grows its shell by depositing a protein layer first. Then, calcite grows on top of this protein layer. Next, several proteins transform the calcite into aragonite, a substance that would not typically form as it is less stable. These tiny crystals all align in the same direction and grow sideways into tiles, ultimately forming irregular stacks. A specially structured protein prevents growth outwards, which would result in needle-like structures. Each tile layer is about 0.5 microns thick (approximately one-thousandth the thickness of a strand of human hair) and 10 microns in diameter. A thin protein layer separates one tile layer from the next, resulting in a structure that resembles a forest of Christmas trees.

Structure and Strength

The tiles in an abalone shell end up as stacked layers that create the characteristic iridescent appearance of mother-of-pearl. Although the tile layers appear irregular, they are actually quite regular and are separated by a protein layer that is about 10-20 microns thick. This protein layer bonds the layers together strongly but also allows the tiles within each layer to slide apart slightly. This slippage absorbs the energy from a heavy impact, providing additional strength to the shell. The protein layers also play a crucial role in preventing cracks from spreading throughout the shell.

Design or Chance?

Mehmet Sarikaya, a materials scientist and nacre expert at the University of Washington, acknowledges that nature has designed an extraordinary interface between organic and inorganic materials that we are currently unable to replicate. The researchers who studied abalone shells paid their respects to the wonders of evolution in their scientific paper. However, they did not provide any specific details on how such a precise coordination of chemical processes could arise through a series of accidental events. Each step in the supposed evolutionary pathway must be an improvement on the previous stage for natural selection to act, rendering evolution unable to provide any insights into this intricate design.

Instead, the researchers analyzed the formation of the abalone shell as if it were engineered with toughness in mind. They even stated that even the simplest bio-induced structures are currently beyond our ability to recreate.

From a young-earth creationist perspective, it is logical to believe that this remarkable design was created by an all-knowing Designer whose abilities far surpass our own. As Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us: "‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord."

Human Engineers Copy God's Design

While humans have been creating layered materials called laminates for some time now, these lack the sliding capability between layers found in abalone shells. When a layer breaks in laminates, it weakens the entire structure. However, mechanical and aerospace engineer Kenneth Vecchio from the University of California, San Diego, has drawn inspiration from the abalone shell to design tough armor. Dr. Vecchio recalls being amazed as a boy in the 1970s at how difficult it was to break seashells. Some of them required hammering to extract even a small piece.

Dr. Vecchio compressed alternating layers of aluminum and titanium alloy foils and then heated them to 700°C (1300°F). As a result, the metals reacted, forming a hard "intermetallic" layer called titanium aluminide (TiAl3), while a more flexible layer of titanium alloy remained. This produced a "metallic intermetallic laminate" (MIL) consisting of thicker layers of hard, brittle material and thinner layers of more flexible material, similar to the abalone shell structure. To test the strength of this new material, Dr. Vecchio fired a heavy tungsten alloy rod into a 2 cm (¾ inch) thick sheet of his creation at a speed of 900 meters per second (2,000 mph). The rod only penetrated halfway through, demonstrating its ability to stop bullets. Additionally, this armor is lightweight, making it suitable for aerospace applications.

Dr. Vecchio's work was featured as the cover story of the March 2005 issue of the Journal of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society.

Why This Matters

The incredible design of abalone shells challenges the notion that complex structures can arise solely through random processes over millions of years. The precise coordination of materials in the shell points towards an intelligent Designer rather than mere chance. This serves as a reminder that we should not overlook the evidence for creation found in nature.

Think About It

Consider the intricate design of an abalone shell and how it reflects the genius of its Creator. How does this bolster your understanding and appreciation of God's handiwork?