Contents:

Introduction. What are spiders ? Spider silk structure Type of spider silk Spinning of spider silk Properties of spider silk Youngs modulus Applications of spider silk Conclusion References

INTRODUCTION
Increasing oil-prices leads the growing threat of oil-shortages. It has greater impact on environment and greenhouse gases (Kyoto).The resulting changes in climate are all leading to an increased concern about the future of our oil-based economy. Initiatives are set up in search of alternatives both in the area of energy resources and raw materials. Although a number of biopolymers are applied to a limited extent in textile industry, further research is needed to fully explore and valorize the potentialities of bio-based polymers and their unique properties. Biopolymers are polymers that are produced from renewable natural sources. These are biodegradable, and non toxic to produce. These are renewable, sustainable, and can be carbon neutral. Biopolymer can be produced by biological systems (i.e. micro-organisms, plants and animals), or chemically synthesized from biological starting materials (e.g. sugars, starch, natural fats or oils, etc.).

What are spiders?

Spiders are arachnids but not insects but both belongs to the same group of animal called arthropods meaning animals with hard external skeleton & jointed limbs. (artho=joint, pods=limbs)

Silk structure

Typically, a spider's silk line is only about 0.001 - 0.004 mm thick. It is made up of different spidroin proteins whose structures provide silk with unique properties. Silk fibres get their stretchiness from the disordered, loose, coil-like protein chains of glycine peptides (amino acids) that stretch when pulled, giving silk its elasticity; and it gets stiffness and strength from highly ordered, 'brick-like' protein crystals of alanine peptides that are spread throughout the silk line. The structural properties of different silks vary with the composition and arrangement of these proteins

Type of spider silk

dragline silk: Used for the web's outer rim and spokes, as well as for the lifeline. As strong as steel, but much tougher. capture-spiral silk: Used for the capturing lines of the web. Sticky, extremely stretchy and tough. tubiliform silk: Used for protective egg sacs. Stiffest silk. aciniform silk: Used to wrap and secure freshly captured prey. Two to three times as tough as the other silks, including dragline. minor-ampullate silk: Used for temporary scaffolding during web construction

Type of spider silk

Spinning of spider silk

The spiders spinneret is made of hundreds of tubes coming from the silk gland. The glands are called major ampullate and minor ampullate, and the number of gland the spider has varies with species.

Properties of spider silk

Spider silk is a remarkably strong material. Its tensile strength is superior to that of high-grade steel, spider silk is extremely lightweight: a strand of spider silk long enough to circle the earth would weigh less than 16 ounces (450 g).[6] Spider silk is also especially ductile, able to stretch up to 40% of its length without breaking. This gives it a very high toughness, which "equals that of commercial polyaramid filaments, which themselves are benchmarks of modern polymer fiber technology."[7]

Youngs modulus(elasticity)=stress/ strain

Applications of spider silk

Bullet-proof clothing Wear-resistant lightweight clothing Ropes ,net, set belt, parasuits, Rust-free panels on motor vehicles or boats Biodegradable bottles Bandages, surgical thread Artificial tendons or ligaments, supports for weak blood vessels. The silk of Nephila clavipes has recently been used to help in mammalian neuronal regeneration. [11]

Conclusion

From the above discussion .The conclusion that, of excellent mechanical properties, wide applications in the fields of textile, medical, electrical etc. Man has not been able to use the spider silk efficiently . Though it is having many positive aspects, the production on industrial basic is not grown. A Canadian company attempted in producing spider silk using a protein in transgenic goat artificially, the quality produced was much inferior to naturally produced spider silk. The combination of high strength & super toughness is likely to push dragline silk into impact & tear proof textile where stronge & flexible materials are required. More research & thinking is needed in the direction of starting the production on industrial basis & flourishing it.

References

1 www.marion.ohio-state.edu/spiderweb/wwhatarespiders.htm-7k 1 2 habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/spiders/text/a-what.htm-11k 3 http://science.howstuffworks.com/spider3.htm 4 www.amoiine.net.au/spiders/toolkit/silk/stucture.htm 5 www.azonano.com/nwws.asp?newsID=3941 6www.tx.ncsu.edu/jtatm/volume5issu1/Articles/saravanan/_full_170_ 05.pdf 7 www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/spider/page2h.htm 8www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/spider/page4h.htm 9 tc.engr.wisc.edu/steuber/papers/2002/spiders_p_1st.doc 10 www.spacedaily.com/news/materials_02a.htm