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Analysis of the pressure requirements for silk spinning reveals a pultrusion dominated process

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  • James Sparkes

    (The University of Sheffield)

  • Chris Holland

    (The University of Sheffield)

Abstract

Silks are remarkable materials with desirable mechanical properties, yet the fine details of natural production remain elusive and subsequently inaccessible to biomimetic strategies. Improved knowledge of the natural processes could therefore unlock development of a host of bio inspired fibre spinning systems. Here, we use the Chinese silkworm Bombyx mori to review the pressure requirements for natural spinning and discuss the limits of a biological extrusion domain. This provides a target for finite element analysis of the flow of silk proteins, with the aim of bringing the simulated and natural domains into closer alignment. Supported by two parallel routes of experimental validation, our results indicate that natural spinning is achieved, not by extruding the feedstock, but by the pulling of nascent silk fibres. This helps unravel the oft-debated question of whether silk is pushed or pulled from the animal, and provides impetus to the development of pultrusion-based biomimetic spinning devices.

Suggested Citation

  • James Sparkes & Chris Holland, 2017. "Analysis of the pressure requirements for silk spinning reveals a pultrusion dominated process," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-00409-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00409-7
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    Cited by:

    1. Jianming Chen & Arata Tsuchida & Ali D. Malay & Kousuke Tsuchiya & Hiroyasu Masunaga & Yui Tsuji & Mako Kuzumoto & Kenji Urayama & Hirofumi Shintaku & Keiji Numata, 2024. "Replicating shear-mediated self-assembly of spider silk through microfluidics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.

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