Taking inspiration from the yellow fattail scorpion, which uses
a bionic shield to protect itself against scratches from desert
sandstorms, scientists have developed a new way to protect the
moving parts of machinery from wear and tear. A report on the
research appears in ACS' journal Langmuir. Zhiwu Han, Junqiu
Zhang, Wen Li and colleagues explain that "solid particle
erosion" is one of the important reasons for material damage or
equipment failure. It causes millions of dollars of damage each
year to helicopter rotors, rocket motor nozzles, turbine blades,
pipes and other mechanical parts. The damage occurs when
particles of dirt, grit and other hard material in the air,
water or other fluids strike the surfaces of those parts.
Filters can help remove the particles but must be replaced or
cleaned, while harder, erosion-resistant materials cost more to
develop and make. In an effort to develop better erosion-
resistant surfaces, Han and Li's group sought the secrets of the
yellow fattail scorpion for the firs