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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Prescribed 3-D Direct Writing of Suspended Micron/Sub-micron Scale Fiber Structures via a Robotic Dispensing System
Published on: June 12, 2015
Modeling of mechanical properties and structural design of spider web
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. fko@coe.drexel.edu
Abstract:
With a unique combination of strength and toughness among materials, spider silk is the model for engineering materials. This paper presents the stress-strain behavior of Nephila clavipes spider silk under tension, transverse compression, and torsional deformation obtained by a battery of micro testing equipment. The experimental results showed significantly higher toughness than the state-of-the-art fibers in tension and in transverse compression. Higher shear modulus was also observed for the spider silk comparing to other liquid crystalline fibers such as aramid fibers. On the basis of the experimental results finite element analysis is used to simulate static and dynamic properties of spider web and to explore the role of both material properties and architectural design in its structural integrity and mechanical performance.
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