Bio-inspired Strip-Shaped Composite Composed of Glass Fabric and Waste Selvedge from A. Pernyi Silk for Lightweight and High-Impact Applications

It is an advanced strategy to acquire bio-inspired composites by simulating the organic-inorganic composition and multiple-cracking fracture behavior. However, its application is limited due to the problems of the expensive raw materials and complicated processing. In this paper, bio-inspired organic-inorganic composites were successfully constructed with the waste selvedge A. pernyi silk fabric and glass fabric by using a simple hot-pressing process. The sample with A. pernyi silk inside and glass fabric outside exhibited the highest impact strength of similar to 160 kJ m(-2), significantly surpassing that of the glass fiber-reinforced composite. The fracture morphologies suggest a dynamic load-dependent toughening mechanism involving multiple cracking. Also, the density of the composite with optimal impact performance was only 1500 kg.m(-3). Such bio-inspired composites were further constituted to be automobile bumpers with light weight and high impact resistance.