SILK
Sericulture - Answer- Cultivation of the silkworm
Silk -> only natural filament fiber that has significant commercial value.
Produced by the "silkworm", can be obtained either from cultivated silkworms or wild species.
4 basic stages of development - Answer- 1. Laying of the eggs b...
SILK
Sericulture - Answer- Cultivation of the silkworm
Silk -> only natural filament fiber that has significant commercial value.
Produced by the "silkworm", can be obtained either from cultivated silkworms or wild
species.
4 basic stages of development - Answer- 1. Laying of the eggs by the silk moth
2. Hatching of the eggs into caterpillars, which feed on mulberry leaves
3. Spinning of the cocoon by the caterpillar
4. Emerging from the silk moth from the cocoon
Process - Answer- Only the largest cocoons are permitted to complete the lifecycle,
the other cocoons are subjected to dry heat that kills the pupa.
Doupion silk: When two silkworms spin a cocoon together, it produces a cocoon
made of a double strand of silk
whole, unbroken cocoons -> sorted according to color, texture, size, shape,...
Reeling the silk -> the cocoons are placed in warm water to soften the sericin, the
gum that holds the filaments together.
The filaments of 4 or more cocoons are held together to form a strand of yarn.
SILK YARNS - Answer- Throwing: making of silk yarns
Reeled silk filaments can be combined into yarns immediately. Shorter silk fibers
must be spun.
GUM REMOVAL - Answer- The sericin that holds the silk filaments in place in the
cocoon is softened
not removed in reeling.
removed before or after throwing, or after the fabric has been woven.
soap solution is used to wash the gum from the silk.
In some silk fabrics, called raw silk, the sericin hasn't been removed.
weighted ->dipped in a sollution of metallic salts. easily absorbed by the silk fiber,
making it heavier and stiffer, but also more vulnerable for breaking.
PROPERTIES OF SILK - Answer- COLOR - off white to cream
SHAPE:
cross section -> triangular, surrounded by sericin.
smooth and transparent fiber.
length of filaments range from 300 mts to 3000 mts.
LUSTER:
high
not as high as manufactured fibers with round cross sections.
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