Spider silk is incredibly tough, possessing high tensile strength and exceptional strength-to-weight properties that make it far stronger than steel for its weight.
Spider silk, particularly the dragline silk used for safety lines and web frames, is renowned for its remarkable toughness and strength. It's often compared to steel due to its high tensile strength, the ability to withstand tension before breaking.
Tensile Strength Comparison
According to the reference from Wikipedia, spider dragline silk has a tensile strength of roughly 1.3 GPa (Gigapascals). While some types of steel can have a slightly higher tensile strength, potentially around 1.65 GPa, this isn't the full picture when assessing toughness for practical applications.
Strength-to-Weight Ratio
One of the most impressive aspects of spider silk is its low density compared to materials like steel. This lower density means that for the same weight, spider silk is vastly superior in strength. The reference highlights this by stating that a given weight of spider silk is an astonishing five times as strong as the same weight of steel.
This combination of high tensile strength and low density gives spider silk an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, making it one of the toughest natural fibers known.
| Material | Approximate Tensile Strength (GPa) | Strength Comparison (by weight vs. Steel) |
|---|---|---|
| Spider Silk | 1.3 | ~5x stronger than steel |
| Steel | 1.65 (example) | 1x (baseline) |
This unique combination of properties is what makes spider silk a material of significant scientific interest for potential applications ranging from medical sutures to ballistic fabrics.
Learn more about the properties of spider silk on Wikipedia.
