Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
J R Soc Interface. 2012 Sep 7;9(74):2299-308. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2011.0887. Epub 2012 May 2.
Silkworm cocoons have evolved a wide range of different structures and combinations of physical and chemical properties in order to cope with different threats and environmental conditions. We present our observations and measurements on 25 diverse types of cocoons in a first attempt to correlate physical properties with the structure and morphology of the cocoons. These two architectural parameters appear to be far more important than the material properties of the silk fibres themselves. We consider tensile and compressive mechanical properties and gas permeation of the cocoon walls, and in each case identify mechanisms or models that relate these properties to cocoon structure, usually based upon non-woven fibre composites. These properties are of relevance also for synthetic non-woven composite materials and our studies will help formulate bio-inspired design principles for new materials.
蚕茧为了应对不同的威胁和环境条件，进化出了多种多样的结构和物理化学性质组合。我们对 25 种不同类型的蚕茧进行了观察和测量，首次尝试将物理性质与蚕茧的结构和形态联系起来。这两个结构参数似乎比丝纤维本身的材料性质重要得多。我们考虑了蚕茧壁的拉伸和压缩机械性能以及气体渗透性能，并在每种情况下都确定了将这些性能与蚕茧结构联系起来的机制或模型，这些模型通常基于无纺纤维复合材料。这些性质对于合成无纺复合材料也很重要，我们的研究将有助于为新材料制定受生物启发的设计原则。
