What Is The Spider Silk Technology?

Spider silk can be used for items such as cloths, parachutes, and even hot air balloons. They are also utilized in more scientific applications that include human stitches and have taken place of synthetic fibers for tissue engineering. The reason behind its popularity is its properties.

Spider silk is only one-tenth the diameter of human hair. But it is many times stronger than steel and is a durable material. Another noteworthy quality includes its elasticity as spider webs must be stretchable to absorb the kinetic energy of their insect prey. That is why it has 98% water!

Artificial spider silk is not only an accurate replication of natural spider silk but is also efficient. It comprises common materials such as water, silica, and cellulose that are easily accessible and cost-effective. Chemical solvents are also not needed to produce these fibers at room temperature, so they are more practical than synthetic fibers which can only be produced at high temperatures. New recent applications of spider silks are biocompatible lenses and synthetic glue. 

Spider silk technology has the potential to revolutionize the several billion-dollar silk industry. The market for raw silk alone is almost $5 billion per year. Traditional silk is mainly used to produce high-quality clothing, however, it does not have many industrial uses. On the other hand, the strength and performance that spider silk possesses can be used in many industries for various uses other than just clothing. In the medical industry, spider silk works like thin sutures for eye or nerve surgery. Spider silk can also replace Kevlar in body armor. Just one of these markets, technical textile prioritizing material performance generates in excess of $120 billion in annual sales. this wide range of potential markets.