COMPRESSIVE BEHAVIOR OF CUTTLEFISH BONE HELICAL MICROSTRUCTURES: A FINITE ELEMENT APPROACH

This study investigates the compressive behavior of the natural helical microstructures found in cuttlefish bone using finite element analysis (FEA). Based on cross-sectional imaging of the bone, three-dimensional models were developed to represent both individual helical wall segments and an integrated cubic structure. The simulations revealed complex stress distributions under compressive loading, with stress concentrations predominantly occurring at the inner and outer curves of the helices. Among all models, the longest and most continuous helical structure exhibited the highest mechanical performance, reaching a maximum von Mises stress of 49.37 MPa and a fracture work of 2.2685 MJ/m³. The integrated cubic structure demonstrated ductile behavior with a peak stress of approximately 43.355 MPa. To account for the bone’s natural porosity (~93%), the results were scaled using the Gibson-Ashby model, yielding an estimated compressive strength of 1.65 MPa-consistent with experimental data in the literature. These findings confirm that the helical microarchitecture of cuttlefish bone provides an efficient balance between lightweight design and mechanical resilience, highlighting nature’s structural optimization.