Breaking the Pattern: How Disorder Toughens Materials

Nature is full of surprises — including the way disorder makes materials tougher. Inspired by structures found in bones and seashells, researchers at Penn Engineering, Penn Arts & Sciences and Aarhus University discovered that adding just the right amount of disorder to a material’s internal structure can more than double its resistance to cracking.

Mechanical metamaterials, engineered materials with unique internal geometries, often suffer from fragility. However, by fine-tuning the level of disorder in their design, Sage Fulco, a postdoctoral researcher in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM), found a way to boost toughness by 2.6 times.

“Without changing the material at all, just by altering the internal geometry, you can increase the toughness,” says Kevin Turner, Professor and John Henry Towne Department Chair of MEAM.

By refining these structural designs, the team aims to unlock new possibilities for tougher, more resilient materials, critical for applications in aerospace and beyond.

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