Residual strain and stress in biocrystals

The development of residual strains within a material is a valuable engineering technique for increasing the material’s strength and toughness. Residual strains occur naturally in some biominerals and are an important feature that has recently been highlighted in biomineral studies. Here, we review manifestations of internal residual strains detected in biominerals. We describe the mechanisms by which they develop as well as their impact on the biominerals’ mechanical properties. The question as to whether they can be utilized in multi-scale strengthening and toughening strategies for biominerals is discussed.