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Biomaterialization is a relatively new term in the scientific community, most notably used in areas regarding the production of inorganic materials based on the emulation of organic processes. The traditionally used term of 'biomineralization' is unsatisfactory, most notably because it refers to inorganic minerals being synthesized from biological micro- and nanostructures, when in reality they are inorganic materials that are derived from the mimicry of organic nanostructure processes. Recently, scientists from the University of Stuttgart have discovered a process by which they can produce oxide ceramics by biological means. A recent article from AZO materials discusses their progress:
"The scientists imitate the natural concept of biomineralization to produce non-metallic inorganic materials under environmental conditions. Organisms produce a bioorganic template to induce and control the formation of an inorganic phase (e.g. calcium carbonate) in an aqueous solution. This natural process offers promising perspectives for the synthesis of functional materials. Unfortunately, nature produces only minerals with minor technical importance. The interdisciplinary working group of Stuttgart University under participation of institutes of the faculties for chemistry as well as for energy technology, process engineering and biological engineering is working to overcome this issue."
For those in the ceramics manufacturing industry, the new terminology and the new process will be significant. As the article says, oxide ceramics such as titania, zinc oxide and zirconia are used in photovoltaic and fuel cells, and are in high demand due to their application as a scratch-resistant coating. With our industry constantly evolving, it's important for ceramics manufacturers to pay attention to new words like 'biomaterialization', as well as be aware of what they represent. This recent breakthrough serves as a shining example of how new developments may shape not only the future of materials sciences, but how we talk about ceramics engineering.
To read more about ceramics engineering, check out Refractron:
To read the article from AZO materials, follow this link:
And to read more about discussion related to terminology in biomimetics, click here:
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