Silk

Silk is a protein fiber and only one natural continuous filament fiber. It is made by the silkworm, a caterpillar,
belonging to the genus Bombyx. (Binomial name: Bombyx mori). It comes from the cocoon of the silk worm
and requires a great deal of handling and processing, which makes it one of the most expensive fibers. The unit
price for raw silk is around twenty times of raw cotton. The silk filament is a continuous thread of great strength
measuring from 500-2000 meters in length.
The most beautiful of all textile fibers is silk, which is claimed as the “Queen of Fibers”.

History
Silk, the most elegant fiber, was first discovered in China by Empress Si-Ling-Chi. One day the
Empress was enjoying a cup of tea under a Mulberry tree in the palace garden. A silk worm cocoon
fell from the tree into her tea cup. Attempting to remove it, she observed that the heat of the liquid
allowed the cocoon to unravel an unbroken filament of fiber. The Empress became so enamored with
the shimmering threads that she discovered their source. Soon the Empress learned how to rear the
caterpillars and unwind the cocoons that they made. Thus, through the entire encouragement of the
Empress, silk industry became established in China. China held monopoly in the silk industry for
three thousand years. The Silk Road was a network of trade routes connecting China and the Far East
with the Middle East and Europe. Though silk was the major item exported from China for trade,
many other goods and ideas were exchanged. Then two monks smuggled silkworm eggs and
sericulture spread to other place in the world.

Silk Producing Countries

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Natural Textile Fibers (YE 101)
Susmita Saha, Lecturer, DoYE; Email: susmitasaha@ye.butex.edu.bd
Silk Manufacturing Process
1. Sericulture
The breeding, nurturing, and care of the silkworm (Bombyx mori) is known as sericulture. It is being
done by four following steps:
a) Eggs: Most female moths will lay between 150 and 300 eggs over the course of 2 or 3 days. Some
moths can lay as many as a thousand eggs. The eggs start out lemon yellow otherwise they are
infertile.
b) Hatching the Eggs: The tiny eggs of the silkworm moth are incubated (about 10 days) until they
hatch into larvae (1/4 inch long).
c) Molting: Larva eats mulberry leaves continuously and molting four times within 6 weeks. After
growing to its maximum size of about 3 inches; it stops eating, are about 10,000 times heavier than
when it hatched. Now the silkworm is ready to spin a silk cocoon.
d) Spinning the Cocoon: The silk fluid (fibroin, an animal protein) is extruded from a spinneret
(located undertow lower lip). The spinneret is fed by two glands. The diameter of the spinneret
determines the thickness of the silk thread, which is as a long continuous filament. The secretions
harden on exposure to the air and form twin filaments composed of fibroin. A second pair of glands
secrets sericin (a gummy binding fluid) which binds the two filaments together. Within four days,
silkworm rotates its body about 300000 times to construct a cocoon of silk filament around it’s body.
Immediately after making cocoon, silkworm must be killed by hot water or steam otherwise moth
cuts cocoon to fly out from it and damages the silk.
2. Sorting of Cocoons: The cocoons are sorted according to the color, size, shape and texture as
these affect the final quality of the silk. Cocoons may range from white and yellow to grayish.
3. Softening the Sericin: Silk filament is a double strand of fibroin, which is held together by a
gummy substance called sericin or silk gum. After sorting, cocoons are put through a series of hot
and cold immersion to soften the sericin. Thus twin filaments are permitted for unwinding as one
continuous thread.
4. Reeling the Filament: Reeling is the process of unwinding the silk filament from the cocoon
and combing them together (3-10 strand) to make a thread of raw silk which is known as “reeled silk”.
5. Bailing: The reeled silk in skein form are packed in small bundles called books weighting 2 to
4.5 kg. These books are put into bales weighing about 60 kg.
6. Throwing of Silk: The production of yarn of desired size or dimensions from reeled silk by
adding twist or doubling and by further twisting is called throwing. Throwing makes thread
sufficiently strong for weaving and knitting and prevents the thread from splitting into its constituent
fibers.
7. Finishing: A washing process called degumming is done to remove the sericin from hard silk
fibron. To make the silk soft and glossy, it is essential to remove the sericin by degumming treatment.
The sericin is removed by a gentle boiling in mild soap solution or by a scouring operation of 250°F.
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Natural Textile Fibers (YE 101)
Susmita Saha, Lecturer, DoYE; Email: susmitasaha@ye.butex.edu.bd
 After degumming, hard raw silk is converted into soft silk but very light weight. Weighting of silk is
done to restore or increase the weight lost during the process of degumming. It is made heavier by
the addition of metallic salts (tin chloride) or other chemicals.

Classification of silk
I. Mulberry silk (Mostly produced. Mulberry silk contributes to around 90 percent of the world
silk production.)
II. Tasar silk (Wild silk)
III. Eri silk (Eri silk is also known as endi or errandi silk. This often referred to as the fabric of
peace when it is processed without killing the silkworm.)
IV. Muga silk (Similar to Tasar silk)
V. Anaphe silk
VI. Fagara silk
VII. Coan silk
VIII. Mussel silk/ Sea Silk (Mussel silk is obtained from a bivalve, Pinna squamosal. The strong
brown filament, or byssus, is secreted by the mussel to anchor it to a rock or other surface. The
byssus is combed and then spun into a silk popularly known as “fish wool”. Its production is
largely confined to Taranto, Italy.)
IX. Spider silk (Another non-insect variety – is soft and fine, but also strong and elastic. The
commercial production of this silk comes from certain Madagascan species. Because of the
high cost of production, spider silk is not used in the textile industry; however, durability and
resistance to extreme temperature and humidity make it indispensable for cross hairs in optical
instruments.)

Topography of Raw Silk

Longitudinal view: The thickness of the raw silk strand and its uneven and irregular surface are due
to coating of sericin which gives raw silk a coarse handle. Silk is a very fine regular translucent
filament with “Silky” feel. Silk filament is usually slightly twisted about itself.
Cross-sectional view: Under magnification, cultivated silk fibers are triangular in shape.

Reason Behind Beautiful Luster of Silk

The beauty and softness of silk’s luster is due to the triangular cross-section of the silk filament. As
the silk filament is usually slightly twisted about itself, the angle of light reflection changes
continuously. As a result, the intensity of the reflected light is broken, resulting in a soft, subdued
luster.

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Natural Textile Fibers (YE 101)
Susmita Saha, Lecturer, DoYE; Email: susmitasaha@ye.butex.edu.bd
Morphology of Silk
Silk consists of two types of proteins: Fibroin and Sericin. Fibroin is the structural center of the silk
and sericin is the gum which coats the parallel two filaments and allowing them to stick to each other.
Fibroin is made up of sixteen different amino acids. Like wool, it is made from long-chain protein
molecules but arrangement of polymer chain is quite different from wool. Each of the two individual
fibroin filaments is constructed from fibrillar bundles (tiny fibers) which themselves are made from
micro fibrils. The micro fibrils are built from protein chains. Every fibril and micro fibril is arranged
linearly according to the length of the fiber.

Figure.: Construction Model of a Raw Silk Filament

Chemical Composition of Raw Silk

 Fibroin: 72-81%
 Sericin: 19-28%
 Water: 11%
 Salt: 1.5 %
 Fat and wax: 0.8-1%
 Coloring matter and ash: 1-1.4%

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Natural Textile Fibers (YE 101)
Susmita Saha, Lecturer, DoYE; Email: susmitasaha@ye.butex.edu.bd
Silk Polymer
The polymer of silk is a linear fibroin polymer. The silk fibroin is composed of 16 different amino
acids. Among them Glycine, Alanine, Serine make up about 4/5ths of the silk polymer composition.
The important chemical bonds of silk polymer are peptide bond, hydrogen bond, salt linkages, van
der Waals force. The silk polymer does not compose of any amino acid containing Sulphur. So, the
polymer system of silk does not contain any disulfide bonds. Silk is about 65-70% crystalline and
about 30- 35% amorphous.

Figure.: Silk Fibroin Chemical Structure

Physical Properties
 Tensile Strength: Silk is a strong fibre. It has a tenacity usually of 30.9-44.1 cN/tex (3.5-5
gm/den). Wet strength is 75 to 85 % of the dry strength.
 Elongation: Under normal condition 20-25 %.
 Elastic-Plastic Nature: Silk is considered to be more plastic than elastic. Because it’s a
crystalline polymer it does not allow polymer movement which could occur in a more
amorphous system.
 Hygroscopic Nature: Because of more crystallinity, it is less absorbent than wool. Moisture
regain is 11 %. It can take up a third of its weight of water without feeling wet to the touch.
 Color: White, yellow, yellowish green, golden yellow.
 Density: 1.2-1.34 g/cm3.
 Diameter: 10 µm to 20 µm.
 Luster, Fineness and Handle: The most important properties of degummed silk are its typical
luster, its fineness (1.17dtex), its pleasant handle.

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Natural Textile Fibers (YE 101)
Susmita Saha, Lecturer, DoYE; Email: susmitasaha@ye.butex.edu.bd
Thermal properties
Silk is more sensitive to heat than wool. This is considered to be partly due to the lack of any
covalent cross-links on the polymer system of wool. The existing peptide bonds, salt linkages
and hydrogen bonds of the silk polymer system tend to break down once the temperature exceeds
100 degrees Celsius.

Electric properties
Can build up electric charge from friction.

Chemical Properties
 Effect of Acids: The fibroin of silk can be decomposed by strong acids into its constituent
amino acids. In moderate concentration, acids cause a contraction in silk; this shrinkage is used
to bring about crepe effects in silk fabrics.
 Effect of Alkalis: Silk is less readily damaged by alkali than is wool. Weak alkalis such as
soap, borax and ammonia cause little appreciable damage. More concentrated solutions of
caustic alkalis will destroy the luster and cause loss of strength. Silk dissolves in solutions of
concentrated caustic alkali.
 Effects of Organic Solvents: Silk is insoluble in the dry cleaning solvents in common use.
 Effect of Sunlight and Weather: Lack of covalent cross-links in the polymer system of silk,
the resistance to environment is not as good as that of wool. Sunlight can turn white silk to
yellow and weaken fibers.
 Effects of Perspiration: Perspiration, deodorant sprays and perfumes can cause color changes
and can embitter the fiber. (Therefore arm linings should be used).

Identification of Silk
Burning Test: The smell of burning silk is as like as horn or hair. Burning silk will leave a
powdery ash and extinguish itself when the flame is removed. The easy way to tell silk and wool
apart in the burn test is the smell, where wool will have the smell of burning hair, the silk will have
a much more disagreeable smell.
Chemical Test: Sulphuric acid: Dissolves, destroyed
Lithium hypochlorite: Dissolves.
Distinguish wool from silk: The use of concentrated cold hydrochloric acid and sodium hydro-
oxide solution will dissolve the silk but wool fiber swells.

6
Natural Textile Fibers (YE 101)
Susmita Saha, Lecturer, DoYE; Email: susmitasaha@ye.butex.edu.bd
Difference between Wool & Silk
Wool Silk

Wool polymer is a helical configuration Silk polymer is a linear fibroin polymer.

cross-link keratin polymer.

Wool polymer is composed of 20 different Silk polymer is composed of 16 different

amino acids. amino acids.

Chemical bonding groupings of the wool Chemical bonding groupings of the silk
polymer are hydrogen bonds, salt linkages, polymer are peptide bond, hydrogen bond,
peptide and disulfide bonds etc. salt linkages.

Wool contain disulfide bonds i.e. cysteine. Silk does not contain any disulfide bond.

Wool polymer is 140 nm long and 1nm thick. Silk polymer is about as long as 140 nm, or
slightly longer than wool polymer and 0.9 nm
thick.
Wool has more resistant against sunlight than Continuous exposure to sunlight weakens silk
silk. faster than cotton or wool.

Various Types of Silk

 Raw silk (Net silk): The filaments which are collected from cocoons and wound up onto a reel
are called raw silk. An individual filament is too fine to be wound separated. So, 7 to 10
cocoons are wound together. Raw silk is more resistant to light than degummed silk.
 Spun silk: Unwind able remnants from the cocoons together with other waste silk are
converted into spun yarns by the usual methods. Spun yarns are made from the longer fibers
separated at a combing machine. They are fine, smooth and regular. Also known as Schappe
silk.
 Noil Silk: The shorter waste fibers in the form of comber noils from spun silk processing, are
spun into coarser, irregular yarns using the woollen spinning system also known as Bourne
silk.
 Wild silk: The wild Tussah cocoons are gathered from trees and bushes. It is brown in color,
more uneven and coarser. It is usually called Tasar silk.

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Natural Textile Fibers (YE 101)
Susmita Saha, Lecturer, DoYE; Email: susmitasaha@ye.butex.edu.bd
Types of Twisted Yarn (Thrown Yarn)
 Thrown Singles: This is formed by twisting raw silk in only one direction.
 Tram: This is a lightly-twisted thread formed by twisting two or three strands of silk together.
Low twist tram will have only two or three twists to the inch (2.5cm); high-twist tram may
have 12-20 twists to the inch (2.5cm). Tram is moderately strong; it is soft and has a full handle.
Tram yarns are used as weft in woven fabrics.
 Organzine: This is a very strong yarn made from high-quality silk. Two or more strands are
each twisted and the compound thread then twisted in the opposite direction, from about 9-30
turns to the inch (2.5cm). Organzine is used mainly as warp in a woven fabric.
 Crepe: These are yarns with a very high twist, as many as 30-70 to the inch (2.5cm). They are
used for crepe fabrics and chiffon, and for knitting to hosiery.
 Grenadine: This is a tightly-twisted yarn, in which two or three twisted strands are combined
and twisted in the opposite direction. It is twisted more tightly than organzine. Grenadine yarns
have extra good weaving qualities and a delustred appearance. They are used for high-quality
silk hose.
 Compenzine: This yarn is made from two tightly twisted yarns and one untwisted yarn. When
these are twisted together, about five turns to the inch (2.5cm), the untwisted yarn crinkles up,
giving the 'knobbly' appearance characteristic of crepe threads.
 Sewing silks: These are tightly-twisted strong yarns. They are made by twisting two or three
silk strands together and then combining several of the resulting threads by twisting in the
opposite direction.
 Embroidery silks: are often simple untwisted strands united by a slight twist.

End Uses of Silk

Apparel: Blouses, Dresses, Pants, Lingerie, Underwear, Formal dresses etc.
Accessories: Scarves, Ties, Hats, Gloves, Handbags, Umbrella etc.
Home Textiles: Carpets, Curtains, Draperies, Cushion Covers, Sofa Covers, Bed-Cloths etc.
Industrial Textiles: Sewing Threads, Embroidery Threads, Racing Bicycle tyre etc.

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Natural Textile Fibers (YE 101)
Susmita Saha, Lecturer, DoYE; Email: susmitasaha@ye.butex.edu.bd
Some commercial silk fabrics
 Plain Silk Fabric,
 Endi silk fabric,
 Dupion Fabrics,
 Charka Silk,
 Georgette,
 Chiffon,
 Chinnon,
 Crepe,
 Organza,
 Satin,
 Tabby Silk,
 Murshidabad Silk,
 Matka Silk etc.

Reference Books:
 NATURAL FIBERS
Textile Raw Materials – 1
Dr. Abu Bakr Siddique
Dr. Hosne Ara Begum
 TEXTILE SCIENCE
E.P.G. Gohl
L.D. Vilensky
 HANDBOOK OF TEXTILE FIBERS
Volume: I Natural FIBERS
J. GORDON COOK
Woodhead Publishing Ltd

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9
Natural Textile Fibers (YE 101)
Susmita Saha, Lecturer, DoYE; Email: susmitasaha@ye.butex.edu.bd