Journal article icon

Journal article

Relationships between supercontraction and mechanical properties of spider silk

Abstract:

Typical spider dragline silk tends to outperform other natural fibres and most man-made filaments. However, even small changes in spinning conditions can have large effects on the mechanical properties of a silk fibre as well as on its water uptake. Absorbed water leads to significant shrinkage in an unrestrained dragline fibre and reversibly converts the material into a rubber. This process is known as supercontraction and may be a functional adaptation for the silk's role in the spider's we...

Expand abstract
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

Actions


Access Document


Publisher copy:
10.1038/nmat1534

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Zoology
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
Fudan University, PR China
Department:
Department of Macromolecular Science and the Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers of Ministry of Education
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Zoology
Role:
Author
Science and Technology Development Foundation of Shanghai More from this funder
AFSOR of the United States of America More from this funder
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group Publisher's website
Journal:
Nature Materials Journal website
Volume:
4
Issue:
12
Pages:
901-905
Publication date:
2005-12-01
DOI:
EISSN:
1476-4660
ISSN:
1476-1122
Language:
English
Keywords:
Subjects:
UUID:
uuid:b9be3524-b5de-432d-a8a9-1f8a34ea2407
Local pid:
ora:4226
Deposit date:
2010-10-08

Terms of use


Views and Downloads






If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record

TO TOP