A High-Tech Spin on Spider Silk
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Sheng Shen and his team have developed a polymer nanofiber inspired by spider silk.
“Just as a spider synthesizes silk from protein polymer to form a fiber with strength similar to high tensile steel, polymers can be spun and drawn to form high-strength materials with exceptionally high thermal conductivity,” said Shen.
Their polymer measures less than 100 nanometers and is strong, lightweight, thermally conductive, electrically insulating, and bio-compatible. These qualities allow the nanofiber to be used in robotics, medical devices, civil and structural engineering and aerospace and automotive systems.