Communications Materials (Mar 2020)

Simultaneous effect of strain rate and humidity on the structure and mechanical behavior of spider silk

  • Kenjiro Yazawa,
  • Ali D. Malay,
  • Hiroyasu Masunaga,
  • Y. Norma-Rashid,
  • Keiji Numata

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-020-0011-8
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 1, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Spider silk is well known for its high toughness. Here, a comprehensive study of the simultaneous effect of strain rate and humidity on toughness is reported, revealing that toughness is highest under mildly humid conditions and at high strain rates, similar conditions to those in nature.