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The variability of mechanical properties and molecular conformation among different spider dragline fibers

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Abstract

Spider dragline fiber is a high-performance biomaterial that has received much attention. To screen the outstanding spider dragline fibers, the mechanical properties and microstructures of dragline fibers collected from Nephia clavata, Nephia pilipes, Argiope bruennichi and Argiope amoena were investigated. It was found that the mechanical properties of spider dragline fiber were variable. Among the four different species, the larger spiders did not always extrude thicker dragline fibers and produce fibers with the maximum breaking force. The dragline fibers could sustain one to three times the body weight of the spider at a reeling speed of 20 mm/s. N. clavata dragline fiber showed a stronger breaking stress and initial modulus than that of N. pilipes, A. bruennichi and A. amoena. With an increasing reeling speed, the breaking strain decreased; the initial modulus increased in N. clavata, N. pilipes and A. bruennichi, but the breaking stress exhibited a different tendency. The results also revealed that dragline fiber of N. clavata contained the most β-sheet polypeptides and an excellent orientation of β-sheet molecular chains.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Applied Biology, Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Nagano, 386-8567, Japan

    Lei Zhang, Leng Han & Masao Nakagaki

  2. Sericultural Reseach Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anhui, 230061, China

    Lei Zhang & Xianxun Bao

  3. R&D Division, Okamoto Corporation, Nara, 635-8550, Japan

    Yujun Wang & Tianfu Zhao

Authors
  1. Lei Zhang
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  2. Leng Han
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  3. Yujun Wang
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  4. Tianfu Zhao
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  5. Xianxun Bao
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  6. Masao Nakagaki
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Correspondence to Masao Nakagaki.

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Zhang, L., Han, L., Wang, Y. et al. The variability of mechanical properties and molecular conformation among different spider dragline fibers. Fibers Polym 14, 1190–1195 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12221-013-1190-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12221-013-1190-4

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