How Soft is Spider Silk?

Spider silk is one of nature’s strongest and toughest fibrous biomaterials. The silk is used by spiders for several applications, including wrapping prey, web building, and protection of offspring. The silk is also antimicrobial and hypoallergenic. Its mechanical properties make it an attractive material for use in artificial ligaments.

The tensile strength of spider silk is comparable to that of steel. It also shows exceptional damping capacity for energy absorption. This high damping capacity helps to reduce oscillations in hanging spiders. It is important for the survival of spiders.

The mechanical properties of spider silk are attributed to the large molecular chains and proteins in its composition. During torsion, the b-sheet nanocrystals act as nodes to maintain the shape of the silk. In addition, these nanocrystals can absorb input energy during twist insertion.

Spider dragline silk is composed of a rigid outer core and a soft inner core. The latter contains microscopic canaliculi. Using electron microscopy, the researchers have studied the structure and behavior of spider dragline silk. They have found that the silk has a hierarchical structure with a skin-core structure and highly coiled molecular chains.

The spider silk is a good example of a “nano-fishnet” structure, which contributes to its remarkable strength and toughness. The spider dragline silk also exhibits high optical and thermal conductivity.

Spider silk is also known to be flexible. It bends and contracts when exposed to water droplets. As a result, it can be used as a heat sink.

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