Material Toughness(J/kg) Tensile Strength(millions of pascals)

Dragline silk 120,000-160,000

1,100-2,900

Steel 2,000-6,000

300-2,000

INTRODUCTION

� Spider silk is a protein-based fibre produced by spiders

� Subject of interest for over 5000 years

� Ancient Greeks utilized webs to control bleeding wounds

� Can be harvested directly from spiders or genetically modified organisms

� Chosen because of natural design that has inspired new technology

Teagan Boggett and Kayla Gordon Mrs I. Krynauw The King’s School Robin Hills

CONCLUSIONS

Spider silk has many possible future uses and can be beneficial to many important fields as further possibilities are explored

INTERESTING FACTS

� Can be stretched 2-4 times its original length

� Darwin’s Bark spider produces the strongest silk

� Silkworms and goats have been used to replicate spider silk

� Spiders are cannibalistic making mass production of silk challenging

FUTURE

APPLICATIONS

� Medical-build organs and artificial ligaments; repair damaged tissue; stitches

� Military-bulletproof armour

� Commercial-tennis rackets; winter clothing

� Industrial-aircraft bodies; bridge cables

PROPERTIES

� Strong and resilient � Flexible but tough � High thermal

conductivity � Low density therefore

light � Ductile

Bibliography: • www.kraiglabs.com/spider-silk/ • http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/spider/page2.htm • http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.20

1104668/abstract • http://cohemis.uprm.edu/scitecc/PreScitecc11/pdfs

/poster_mcruz.pdf

Comparison table