Re-spun silkworm silk 70% stronger than spider silks, research finds
Materials science journal Matter has published findings from a team of Tianjin University scientists that show how natural silk from the common silkworm Bombyx mori can be re-spun to exhibit 70% higher tensile strength than the average tenacity of spider dragline silk, the strongest natural silk.
The study was inspired by past success with artificially spun, structurally similar spider egg-case silk. Senior author Dr Lin Zhi told reporters that he hoped their findings would offer others “a promising way to produce profitable high-performance artificial silks”.
To remove the obstacle of silk glue, a natural wrapping produced by silkworms which makes spinning the core fibres difficult, researchers boiled Bombyx mori silk in a chemical bath capable of dissolving the glue while minimising any breakdown of silk proteins. They then solidified the silk in a bath of metals and sugars ahead of manual spinning.
The team found the drawn-out fibres to be thinner than typical silkworm silks. More like spider silk in their slenderness, they appear “smooth and strong” when viewed under a microscope (pictured), Dr Lin said.
Image: Tianjin University.
