Researchers at Arizona State University (ASU) found a way to obtain a wide variety of elastic properties of the silk of several intact spiders' webs using a sophisticated but non-invasive laser light scattering technique.
"Spider silk has a unique combination of mechanical strength and elasticity that make it one of the toughest materials we know," said Professor Jeffery Yarger of ASU's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
"This work represents the most complete understanding we have of the underlying mechanical properties of spider silks," Yarger, the lead researcher of the study, said in a statement.
Spider silk is an exceptional biological polymer, related to collagen, the stuff of skin and bones, but much more complex in its structure.
"This information should help provide a blueprint for structural engineering of an abundant array of bio-inspired materials, such as precise materials engineering of synthetic fibers to create stronger, stretchier, and more elastic materials," said Yarger.
The Brillouin light scattering technique used an extremely low power laser, less than 3.5 milliwatts, which is significantly less than the average laser pointer.
Recording what happened to this laser beam as it passed through the intact spider webs enabled the researchers to spatially map the elastic stiffnesses of each web without deforming or disrupting it.
This non-invasive, non-contact measurement produced findings showing variations among discrete fibers, junctions and glue spots.
