Itacolumite

Function

Itacolumite is a stone noted for its flexibility. Examination under a microscope reveals that the stone is made up of interlocking sand grains, akin to the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, leaving very narrow gaps between them. These gaps form when the minerals that bound the sand grains together weathered away and dissolved over a long period of time.

Functional Classification

Form/Organization/System:
Shape changing

Environmental Solution Classification

Related Literature

Technical Application

Products and Services

Type of Business

Proposals of Applied Technology

Initial attempts have succeeded in mimicking the interlocking jigsaw puzzle structure of itacolumite in ceramics (a typically rigid brittle material) to make them more flexible. Flexible stone may also aid in the construction of more earthquake-resistant buildings.

Proposals of Applied Industry

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