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Academic Journal of Materials & Chemistry, 2023, 4(1); doi: 10.25236/AJMC.2023.040102.

The Properties and Application of Natural Spider Silk: a Literature Review

Author(s)

Keyi Yuan

Corresponding Author:
Keyi Yuan
Affiliation(s)

Chengdu Foreign Language School, Chengdu, China

Abstract

Drag silk, which is produced by the main ampullate silk gland, is a kind of natural insect silk which outperforms some other kinds of silk. Given its exceptional mechanical characteristics and excellent biocompatibility, drag silk, a kind of spider silk, does have the potential to be utilized by humans. The excellent properties of natural spider silk make it useful in many fields. But due to the cannibalistic nature of spiders, spiders cannot be reared on a large scale to meet the huge demand for spider silk. The development of recombinant spider silk protein and artificial spider silk through research and development is vital for the commercialization of spider silk and its applications. This research outlines the possible applications of natural spider silk by examining its physical, biological, and characteristic features. Due to its extraordinary physical and biological properties, drag silk and its corresponding silk proteins have been found to have the potential for the applications in the aerospace industry and biomedical treatments.

Keywords

Spider silk, applications, characteristics, mechanical properties, biocompatibility

Cite This Paper

Keyi Yuan. The Properties and Application of Natural Spider Silk: a Literature Review. Academic Journal of Materials & Chemistry (2023) Vol. 4, Issue 1: 7-12. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJMC.2023.040102.

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