New uses for silkworm cocoons

Silkworm cocoons, which are extremely light, tough and plentiful, are “ideal for the development of bio-inspired composite materials,” according to Oxford University researchers David Porter and Fujia Chen. Potential applications for cocoon-based materials are protective armor and fabricated car panels, especially in the booming car markets of China and India. Silkworm cocoons are sustainable, carbon neutral and are produced with minimal greenhouse gas emissions. Porter says the next stage will be to replicate the structures found in the cocoons or use them as a base material impregnated with gels as a way of developing scalable production.