Correlation Between Processing Conditions, Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior in Regenerated Silkworm Silk Fibers

ABSTRACT: Regenerated silkworm fibers spun through a wet-spinning process followed by an immersion postspinning draw-ing step show a work to fracture comparable with that of natu-ral silkworm silk fibers in a wide range of spinning conditions. The mechanical behavior and microstructure of these high per-formance fibers have been characterized, and compared with those fibers produced through conventional spinning condi-tions. The comparison reveals that both sets of fibers share a common semicrystalline microstructure, but significant differen-INTRODUCTION Biomimetics has emerged as the discipline that intends to expand and organize the knowledge required to regain the singular properties of biological materials and structures in artificial systems.1 The development of the field has shown that this objective cannot be the result of simpl