Scientists Just Turned Silkworm Silk Into a Near-Kevlar Supermaterial
Researchers have developed a method to create silk fibers that are nearly as strong as Kevlar by using silkworm silk. This new material retains the natural structure of silk while being tougher and more sustainable than synthetic alternatives. The findings suggest potential applications in various fields, including biomedical engineering and imaging technologies.
- ▪Silkworm silk can be enhanced to achieve near-Kevlar strength through genetic adjustments and controlled processing.
- ▪The new silk material is biodegradable and has optical properties suitable for advanced technologies.
- ▪The research team found an optimal range of heat and pressure to fuse silk fibers without damaging their structure.
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Spider silk is reportedly five times stronger than steel. With some genetic adjustments, silkworm silk can get even tougher. And now, one team says it’s found a way to spin near-Kevlar-level silk fibers—no synthetic strings attached, literally.cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({"playerId":"92b7b46b-43ed-4e0e-b21b-2c999302d9d7","settings":{"advertising":{"macros":{"AD_UNIT":"/23178111854/od.gizmodo.com/article","CHILD_UNIT":"article","POST_ID":"2000761512","POST_TYPE":"post","CHANNEL":"science","SECTION":"biology","SUBSECTION":"","CATEGORIES":"biology","TAGS":"bioengineering,material-science,silk","NOP":"0"},"timeBeforeFirstAd":0}}}).render("cnx-player-main")}); Remarkably, the new approach preserves the natural structure of the silk fibers and mostly depends on carefully controlled temperatures…
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