Nature's High-Strength Semitransparent Film: The Remarkable Mechanical Properties of <i>Prunus Serrula </i>Bark

Abstract

The birch bark cherry, a Chinese tree that also grows in the State of Washington, has a remarkable set of properties. The horizontally peeling bark is semitransparent and very tough, with mechanical properties comparable to those of commercially important films such as Saran or Mylar.