US test 'dragon silk' is more durable than steel

The US military intends to invest $ 1 million to develop a lightweight, flexible, and durable hybrid silk spider silk jersey over steel.

Armor made of lightweight, flexible and durable. Photo: Yuri Cortez.

According to Popular Mechanics, the US military has been using Kevlar armor for decades, but a new technology can create armor with many advantages.

Kraig Biocraft, a Michigan-based biotechnology company, genetically modifies the silkworms to produce spider silk. On July 12, the company signed a contract with the US military to develop a silk called Dragon Silk to manufacture bulletproof vests.

Spider silk is one of the most durable natural fibers, but it is difficult to produce them in large quantities. Spiders live by territory and cannibalism. Therefore, people can not create spider farms that bring economic efficiency. To handle this problem, Kraig Biocraft inserts genes that produce spider silk into silkworms. The result is a silk blend that is as durable as silk spider silk and easily produced as silk.

"Silk Treads are highly resilient and have very high elasticity, making it one of the most durable man-made fibers." This is the ideal material for a variety of applications , " said Jon Rice, CEO of Kraig Biocraft, said.

In the field of surgery, some sewing threads are made of biodegradable fibers. Not only high durability, sewing thread made of silk much thinner. This is very helpful when performing surgery in sensitive areas such as the eyes and brain.

The US Army's Personal Equipment and Soldier Protection (PM-SPIE) agrees to donate US $ 100,000 to Kraig Biocraft to test silk for bulletproof helmets. If the results are favorable, the US military plans to increase its funding to $ 1 million.

The main advantage of silk compared to traditional Kevlar fibers is their versatility . Kevlar fiber is slightly stronger than silk. Kevlar's durability is three gigapascal (GPa) while the silk of the dragon is two GPa. However, while Kevlar is less flexible with a 3% elongation, this number in silkworms is up to 30-40%.