In-drop capillary spooling of spider capture thread inspires hybrid fibers with mixed solid–liquid mechanical properties
Abstract
The spiraling capture threads of spider orb webs are covered with thousands of tiny glue droplets whose primary function is to entrap insects. In this paper we demonstrate that the function of the drops goes beyond that of gluing prey for they also play a role in the mechanical properties of these fibers—usually ascribed solely to the complex molecular architecture of the silk. Indeed, each of the droplets can spool and pack the core silk filament, thus keeping the thread and the whole web under tension. We demonstrate that this effect is the result of the interplay between elasticity and capillarity by making a fully artificial drops-on-fiber compound as extensible as capture thread is.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- May 16, 2016
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.1602451113
Entities
People
- Arnaud Antkowiak
- Fritz Vollrath
- Hervé Elettro
- Sébastien Neukirch
Organizations
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- European Research Council
- National Center for Scientific Research
- Pierre and Marie Curie University
- Royal Society
- United States Air Force
- University of Oxford