US Army to test special spider silk for bullet proof gear
Published: 18th July 2016 07:33 PM | Last Updated: 18th July 2016 07:33 PM | A+A A-
WASHINGTON: A new kind of strong spider silk based fibres - known as Dragon Silk - could be soon be used by the US army for bullet proof apparels.
The US based Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, developer of spider silk based fibers, announced that it has received a contract valued at up to USD 1.0 million, for the development of high performance fibers for protective apparel applications.
The company will deliver ballistic shoot packs constructed from a material called 'Dragon Silk' for performance testing. These shoot packs will be tested and evaluated for critical soldier protective applications including ballistic impact.
"Dragon Silk scores very highly in tensile strength and elasticity, which makes it one of the toughest fibers known to man and the ideal material for many applications," said Jon Rice, Chief operating officer.
"This contract reinforces the many significant potential applications for recombinant spider silk. Today is a great day for spider silk," said Rice. "This effort will provide Kraig Labs with the opportunity to validate our longstanding belief that spider silk technology has had an incredible potential for protective and lifesaving materials and expand our ability to design and engineer innovative materials solutions," said Kim K Thompson, CEO and founder of Kraig Biocraft Laboratories.
