The silk threads made by spiders combine extreme stability with a high stretch capability. The combination of these mechanical properties has so far been unequaled in conventional fibers: spider silk can absorb over three times as much energy as Kevlar or nylon before it breaks. In addition to its outstanding mechanical properties, spider silk is also hypoallergenic, sustainable to produce, and recyclable. It triggers no immune reaction, feels pleasant to the touch and has a silky shine.

Spider silk has fascinated humanity for thousands of years, especially because of its high stability and its medical safety. Researchers and companies have been aware of the potential of this natural product for many years, but have so far been unsuccessful in their attempts to make a synthetic version of the material and utilize it for new products.

AMSilk® has now succeeded for the first time in developing a globally unique fiber made from recombinant spider silk: it was presented to the public recently under the brand name of Biosteel®. Like other synthetic fibers, Biosteel® can be manufactured infinitely as a monofilament or multifilament – alongside its outstanding physical characteristics, this is a benefit over insect silk and other natural fibers. Minimization of weak areas in the spider silk during the synthetic production process has also made it significantly easier to process.

Soft, pure white, shiny

Biosteel® feels pleasantly soft, has a silky shine, is water-absorbent and is pure white. It is gentle on the skin and, like normal silk, can be processed and dyed. The spider silk used for Biosteel® is not produced by spiders at all: with the help of a method specially developed by the company, synthetically produced proteins are formed into a fiber. Using biotechnological methods, the raw material – initially in powder form – is produced in high quality and in greater quantities than could ever be produced from spiders alone. The process is based on findings by Professor Dr. Thomas Scheibel from the University of Bayreuth, which were further developed technologically by AMSilk.

The key benefits of this production process:

• Defined, uniform quality
• Monodisperse polymer
• Freely scalable process
• No need to breed and keep spiders
• Commercial applications