Dedication to degradation: The beauty of materials designed to lay in ruin

Abstract

Degradation of materials is typically perceived to be a negative response in service. Many designs, and materials, have been and are ruined due to corrosion, fatigue, weathering, ultraviolet light, fungal attack, bacterial attack, erosion, wear, electromigration... and on the list goes. However, the carefully controlled and purposeful degradation of materials is a prerequisite for success for some designs - and such ability is a beautiful necessity when it comes to many regenerative biomaterials. In other instances, we must seek first to understand the degradation mechanisms before we can achieve degradation prevention - and the resistance of some materials to degradation is also beautiful. Regardless of whether we try to prevent or elicit degradation, our dedication to degradation of materials is ever present in materials design. © 2014 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society.