The world of innovation continues to amaze me. For years researchers have been using spider silk for various medical, textile, cosmetic and industrial applications. Now, a Japanese researcher, Shigeyoshi Osaki, of Japan's Nara Medical University is using the "dragline silk" from the spider Nephila Maculata to spin a set of violin strings.
Apparently the sound is amazing! In fact, professional violinists are say that the sound is "quite soft and timbre" and that they will be able to create a new music from these unique violin strands. Also note that they are using between 3,000 to 5,000 individual strands of silk per string.
Dr. Osaki attributed the violins unique sound to the structure found in their cross-section, which can be seen using an electron microscope (refer to picture). The strands of silk appear perfectly round from the top, but are actually compressed into a range of different shapes inside that are compressed together. This feature of the strings, is what lends them their strength and unique tone.
Dr. Osaki was keen on measuring the spiders silks tensile strength- a critical factor for violinists who don't want to break their strings in the middle of a concerto. In fact, his research on allowable mechanical stress applied to a spider's lifeline was published in the 2007 Polymer Journal. Overall, the strings could withstand more more tension than aluminum-coated, nylon-core strings but less tension before breaking than traditional, but rarely used gut string.
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