Replies to post #115256 on Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc (KBLB)

[Chompiee]

Silk used in tires. Think Goodyear.

[bananarama]

I thought BR possessed the ability to secrete antibiotics thus it could be used as sutures.

[es1]

One of the wildest ideas that spidersilk can be used for is artifical muscles.
Using humidity alone they can make muscles that contract better than human muscles.
Great for robotics

http://jeb.biologists.org/content/212/13/1990

[first mike]

Let's all throw out some ideas and uses for KBLB's proprietary silks that don't necessarily involve clothing.

Mentioned and discussed before, but my two favorite applications for DS or similar High Tensile, High elongation silk are climbing ropes and bulletproof tents/curtains.

Climbing ropes because they are a natural match for extensibility.
You do NOT make climbing ropes out of Kevlar.
If you did they would break your back or tear a limb off.
The purpose of climbing ropes is to safely arrest a fall.
To do this they must stop you gradually enough to safely absorb the kinetic energy without damage to the arrested person.
This is an exact fit for the properties of MS/DS.

The Bulletproof Tent / Curtain:
Body armor must stop a projectile in an inch or two at most.
Otherwise, rear face deformation will injure or kill the wearer.
But not all protection need be worn directly against the body.
When a soldier or aid worker takes off their vest etc. it would be very nice if their light weight pitchable tent could protect them.
A strong fabric made from MS/DS would stretch to absorb the energy from even a large heavy projectile, and do it without damage so that it could be struck again and again.

Mike Lukacs

[carp302]

Dental floss