Brick and Mortar (IMAGE) DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Caption In the "brick-and-mortar" phase of the alumina/PMMA hybrid, aragonite "bricks" slide past each other when a load is applied, dissipating strain energy. The polymer "mortar" acts as a lubricant, like oil in an automobile engine. Credit Robert Ritchie, Berkeley Lab Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.