Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Silkworm silk has long been an important natural protein fiber for textile and medical applications, where its superior mechanical properties play a crucial role. Despite the many studies by conventional stress–strain tests, our understanding of the mechanical properties of silkworm silk remains limited. This work investigates the complete elastic properties of Bombyx mori silkworm silk in a noncontact, noninvasive manner by conducting Brillouin light spectroscopy experiments. The analysis of the angle-dependent sound velocities leads to the determination of the full elastic tensor and the engineering mechanical properties of the silkworm silk in natural and stretched states. In the natural state, the axial and lateral Young’s moduli are 23.4 ± 1.0 and 10.4 ± 0.5 GPa, respectively, giving an elastic anisotropy of 2.3. Different from the strain-hardening behavior of the spider silk, the mechanical properties of the silkworm silk exhibit a weak strain-dependence up to the breakage strain (∼20%).
Source: Biomacromolecules
Language: English
Subfield: Biomaterials
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, European Research Council, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems, Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation
OpenAlex ID: W4409058814