Silk tougher than Kevlar thanks to genetically modified silkworms

L4sBot@lemmy.worldmod to Technology@lemmy.world – 384 points – Silk tougher than Kevlar thanks to genetically modified silkworms
cosmosmagazine.com

Silk tougher than Kevlar thanks to genetically modified silkworms::Researchers in China have successfully genetically modified silkworms to produce spider silk. The silk fibres produced were 6 times tougher than the Kevlar used in bulletproof vests.

24

For anyone else that isn't an engineer and also doesn't know, toughness is a defined term in material science.

Toughness is the ability of a material to absorb energy and plastically deform without fracturing. One definition of material toughness is the amount of energy per unit volume that a material can absorb before rupturing. It is also defined as a material's resistance to fracture when stressed.

Sounds like it'd work better than kevlar for armor.

I thought the article was being lazy by saying "tougher" but TIL that's the scientific term.

A lot of great terms in material science.

Brittle fracture is the point at which a material breaks instead of deforming. A material that deforms instead of breaking with stress, like bubble gum, has high "Ductility." It doesnt retain its original shape, but it doesnt fracture.

Strength is the ability for something to withstand stress.

Metal generally has high hardness, good strength and at least some ductility. It will generally absorb and bend to stress, if it bends at all.

Something like Glass has low ductility, low strength and low hardness. It's very solid up to the point of brittle fracture, but once it happens it shatters.

4 more...

It's all fun and games until the world gets taken over by genetically engineered bulletproof worms.

Can you imagine walking into the woods and having a kevlar strand catch on your face? You end up garroting yourself trying to get untangled.

And then getting caught by said worms and being cocooned as you desperately try to break free.

Pimp suits that offer protection!

A shirt like that wouldn't really protect you even if the fabric itself indeed was bullet proof. That would just mean the bullet would push your shirt thru you too. The thing about plate armour is that the force from the impact is getting spread on a large area (and it'll still hurt like hell)

I'm picturing police uniforms that resemble 90's era club kids. The future looks bright folks.

Can’t wait to get silk woofers. 🔊

One day a hungry staff decided to snack on one of those fat worm. Wonder what they taste like he said. This is how the Wonder Worm was born, knives or bullets nothing can go through his skins. An incredible tough superhero though eating and napping occupy most of his days.