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macman11393 · Dec 22, 2007, 06:31 PM

:confused: I was talking to my friend earlyer and I we were discussing sense spider webs are stronger than steel and they are more flexible why don't we find out the chemical process for it and make it ourselves and he said that it was probably why sense it had to go through so maney processes and synthisized so many ways that it would A cost to mutch and B take to mutch time but I was thinking sense the spiders can make so mutch of it and so fast and its gone through evelution wouldn't this be possible and kind of simple once we found how to do it

Capuchin · Dec 22, 2007, 06:45 PM

Spider silk isn't much use as a construction material comparable to steel. People do harvest spider silk and it can be used to create near-indestructable rope and expensive textiles by weaving many together. However, you would need a lot of spiders to do this on an industrial scale. This is not very viable due to all sorts of problems, spiders like to eat each other and so a lot of space would be needed.

There is a lot of interest in developing the creation of artificial spider silk. Although we have materials with comparable properties (kevlar fiber, carbon tubes, nylon), spider silk is still of interest because the possibility of making it out of organic materials at room temperature and pressures, like spiders do.

Some companies have tried to produce the silk through genetic engineering in more manageble animals, for instance one group managed to get a goat to produce the spider silk proteins in it's milk, however attempts at making it into a fiber failed. The spider has a very complicated method of turning the proteins into fiber (Excreting it using a specific gradient of pH, concentration and pressure) and this has not been able to be replicated reliably yet.

macman11393 · Dec 22, 2007, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by Capuchin

Spider silk isn't much use as a construction material comparable to steel. People do harvest spider silk and it can be used to create near-indestructable rope and expensive textiles by weaving many together. However, you would need a lot of spiders to do this on an industrial scale. This is not very viable due to all sorts of problems, spiders like to eat each other and so a lot of space would be needed.

There is a lot of interest in developing the creation of artificial spider silk. Although we have materials with comparable properties (kevlar fiber, carbon tubes, nylon), spider silk is still of interest because the possibility of making it out of organic materials at room temperature and pressures, like spiders do.

Some companies have tried to produce the silk through genetic engineering in more managable animals, for instance one group managed to get a goat to produce the spider silk proteins in it's milk, however attempts at making it into a fiber failed. The spider has a very complicated method of turning the proteins into fiber (Excreting it using a specific gradient of pH, concentration and pressure) and this has not been able to be replicated reliably yet.

U have no idea how mutch answers u have answerd for me thank you