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Spider Silk Textile Fiber

This research project tested the viability of using spider silk as an alternative textile fiber. Spiders of the species Nephila clavipes were collected and their silk was manually extracted without harming them. The silk threads were tested and compared to commercial silk based on textile properties such as breaking point and elongation. A survey also compared the spider silk's luster, texture, color, and acceptability to commercial silk. The research aims to explore using spiders as a sustainable source of silk, as they produce it throughout their lifecycles unlike traditional silk moths.

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Joy Romero Corpuz
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37 views1 page

Spider Silk Textile Fiber

This research project tested the viability of using spider silk as an alternative textile fiber. Spiders of the species Nephila clavipes were collected and their silk was manually extracted without harming them. The silk threads were tested and compared to commercial silk based on textile properties such as breaking point and elongation. A survey also compared the spider silk's luster, texture, color, and acceptability to commercial silk. The research aims to explore using spiders as a sustainable source of silk, as they produce it throughout their lifecycles unlike traditional silk moths.

Uploaded by

Joy Romero Corpuz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Spider Silk Textile Fiber

Abstract
This research project is aimed at testing the possibility of using spiders as an
alternative source of silk.
The spiders used for this research are members of the species Nephila clavipes
collected at the picnic grove inside the grounds of the Philippine Science High
School. The silk was manually collected from the insects body without harming it.
The silk was then twisted and entwined with the others to produce the thread.
The thread was tested and compared with commercial silk based on its textile
properties, like breaking point and elongation limit. A survey was conducted to
compare its luster, texture, color, and general acceptability with that of
commercial silk.
Introduction
Since antiquity, silk has been regarded as the queen of fibers not only for
aesthetic but also for practical reasons. Silk is elastic, highly resilient, lustrous,
smooth, and light in weight. It is also considered one of the strongest natural
fibers, even stronger than some kinds of steel with the same diameter. When
made into textile, it resists wrinkling and is waterproof.
A common source of silk that is used commercially is the moth, Bombyx mora.
The moth and other silk-producing organisms such as some insects and
arachnids possess spinnerets that secrete a protein called fibroin, and which is
known to us as silk. However, these organisms are found only in certain parts of
the world and produce silk only during their larval stages to create their cocoons.
Silkproducing spiders, on the other hand, abound everywhere and produce silk all
throughout their life cycle.
Materials & Equipment
Selected References
Work, R.W. The Force Elongation Behavior of Web Fibers and Silks Forcibly
Obtained from Orb-Web-Spinning Spiders. Textile Research Journal, 1976.
Further clarification of the procedures and results should be directed to the
researchers and adviser.

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