Abstract :
Part 1 of the paper reviews four categories of
protein fibers. (1) Wool and other hairs, which have been
used as textiles for thousands of years. (2) Regenerated
protein fibers, which were manufactured in the 1950s but
did not achieve continued commercial success, and, in the
1990s, fibers from artificially produced spider silk proteins.
(3) Hagfish slime threads, as an example of other biological
fibers. (4) Silks, from silkworms and spiders. In Part 2,
stress–strain curves are compared and discussed in relation
to what is known of the structure of the fibers and the mode
of formation. Models of the structural mechanics are
described. The possibilities for scientific and commercial
advances in future are presented in Part 3
