Flexible wires from spider silk conduct electricity
The Hindu
Spider silk, used by spiders to spin their webs, has many unique
properties. It is very flexible depending on humidity and is tougher
than Kevlar, a polymer used in bullet-proof vests. File Photo: G.
Moorthy
Spider silk, used by spiders to spin their webs, has many unique
properties. It is very flexible depending on humidity and is tougher
than Kevlar, a polymer used in bullet-proof vests. Now, researchers have
found a way to retain these properties while turning the silk into an
electrical conductor by reinforcing it with carbon nanotubes.
The researchers who have developed this technology envision applications
in artificial muscles, sensors and as enhanced actuators in prosthetics
for humans and robots. They used the silk of a species of the golden
silk orb-weaver (Nephila clavipes), which is commonly found in warmer regions of the Americas.
The silk is a protein composed of amino acids that are arranged into
blocks and coils where the blocks are connected to each other by the
coils. The blocks are mainly responsible for the strength of the silk
while the coils, for the elasticity.
No comments:
Post a Comment