The torsional properties of spider dragline silks from Nephila edulis and Nephila pilipes spiders are investigated by using a torsion pendulum technique. A permanent torsional deformation is observed after even small torsional strain. This behaviour is quite different from that of the other materials tested here, i.e., carbon fiber, thin metallic wires, Kevlar fiber, and human hair. The spider dragline thus displays a strong energy dissipation upon the initial excitation (around 75% for small strains and more for a larger strain), which correspondingly reduces the amplitude of subsequent oscillations around the new equilibrium position. The variation of torsional stiffness in relaxation dynamics of spider draglines for different excitations is also determined. The experimental result is interpreted in the light of the hierarchical structure of dragline silk.
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Peculiar torsion dynamical response of spider dragline silk
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3 July 2017
Research Article|
July 05 2017
Peculiar torsion dynamical response of spider dragline silk
Dabiao Liu;
Dabiao Liu
1
Department of Mechanics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
, Wuhan 430074, China
2
Hubei Key Laboratory of Engineering Structural Analysis and Safety Assessment
, Wuhan 430074, China
3
School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London
, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
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Longteng Yu;
Longteng Yu
1
Department of Mechanics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
, Wuhan 430074, China
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Yuming He;
Yuming He
a)
1
Department of Mechanics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
, Wuhan 430074, China
2
Hubei Key Laboratory of Engineering Structural Analysis and Safety Assessment
, Wuhan 430074, China
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Kai Peng;
Kai Peng
1
Department of Mechanics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
, Wuhan 430074, China
2
Hubei Key Laboratory of Engineering Structural Analysis and Safety Assessment
, Wuhan 430074, China
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Jie Liu;
Jie Liu
4
Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, College of Life Sciences, Hubei University
, Wuhan 430062, China
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Juan Guan;
Juan Guan
5
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University
, Beijing 100191, China
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D. J. Dunstan
D. J. Dunstan
3
School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London
, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
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a)
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: ymhe@hust.edu.cn
Appl. Phys. Lett. 111, 013701 (2017)
Article history
Received:
February 03 2017
Accepted:
April 28 2017
Citation
Dabiao Liu, Longteng Yu, Yuming He, Kai Peng, Jie Liu, Juan Guan, D. J. Dunstan; Peculiar torsion dynamical response of spider dragline silk. Appl. Phys. Lett. 3 July 2017; 111 (1): 013701. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4990676
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