What kind of fabric is silk? Is it natural or not? How is natural silk produced?

Silk thread is natural material, made from fibers obtained from the cocoon of the silkworm. The domesticated butterfly of the “true silkworm” family became one of the most significant discoveries of its time and a breakthrough in spinning and weaving. This event occurred about 3000 years ago BC. The ancestral home of the domesticated representative of the valuable Lepidoptera was the regions of northern China and the south of the Primorsky Territory. From the geography of the distribution of the silkworm butterfly, it becomes clear that the Chinese were the first to benefit from the “taming” of the wild “representative” of this winged insect.

Some myths

People in China love stories. According to established legend, everything happened during the reign of the mythical Yellow Emperor. The eldest wife of the legendary ruler Huang Di, Lei Tzu introduced her people to the secrets of breeding caterpillars and twisting threads from the fibers of silkworm cocoons, for which she was nicknamed Xi-Ling-Chi - the mistress of silk worms, and later she was even elevated to the host of gods, making her a goddess sericulture In general, the very reign of the Yellow Emperor is a tangle of legends and myths, and the tendency of the ancient Chinese to attribute everything important events to their rulers, and no one knows exactly how everything really happened. However, until now, in one of the provinces of China - Zhejian, in mid-spring - on April 5, a holiday fair is held with a visit to the statue of Empress Xi-Ling-Chi and the offering of gifts to her.

According to another, more everyday legend, women picking fruits from trees put white fruits, which were harder and, as it turned out, unsuitable for eating, in baskets along with ordinary ones. But women did not know this yet and were looking for a way to make “unusual fruits” edible. Having boiled them, they began to beat the “strange fruits” with sticks to soften them, but ultimately, instead of pulp, they got many, many thin threads - the white fruits turned out to be silkworm cocoons.

There are many other stories about the origins of silk thread production, but they are even more fantastic and more like fairy tales for children.

History of silk

In addition to legends, there are historical facts the beginning of the practical use of cocoon threads. Archaeological excavations have shown that the secrets of making silk fabric were known during the Neolithic culture.

During numerous excavations in various Chinese provinces, not only written references were discovered in the form of hieroglyphs with symbols of silk, mulberry and cocoon, but also the cocoons themselves and surviving fragments of silk products.

Until the unification of China into a single state in the third century BC, there were many independent fiefdoms on the territory of the Middle Kingdom. By the middle of the first millennium BC, about six states in the territory of present China already owned own production threads, fabrics and products made from it.

United China jealously protected the secret of silk production and growing caterpillars for good reason - at one time it was the main source of income for both producers and the entire imperial house. The strictest ban was imposed not only on the production of silk, but also on the export of seeds and sprouts of the mulberry tree and the silkworm itself: larvae, caterpillars, cocoons. Any violation of this law was punishable by death.

In the second century BC. The Great Silk Road was built - a caravan road connecting East Asia with the Mediterranean. From the very name of this route, it becomes clear that the main product of the caravans from Asia was silk. For thousands of years, China remained the monopoly producer of this material. But already in 300 AD, Japan mastered the secret of breeding “silk worms” and producing threads from cocoons, and after it - in 522, Byzantium (with the help of two “curious” monks) and some of the Arab countries from which, subsequently , during the Crusades, the “silk secret” “leaks” to Europe.

How a silk thread is born

Today, silkworms are specially raised. There are many breeding varieties that differ not only in their ability to live and reproduce in different conditions, but also the frequency of reproduction. Some species can produce offspring once a year, others - twice, and still others can produce several offspring in one year.

Butterfly (mulberry moth)

Domesticated representatives are kept in special farms, where the process begins with mating, after which the female moth lays eggs, from which the worst ones are discarded. During the mating season, moths of different sexes are placed in special bags, and at the end of the mating season, the female lays eggs for several days. Silkworms are quite prolific and can lay 300 to 600 eggs at a time.
The butterfly itself is quite large in size. An adult can reach a length of up to 6 centimeters with the same wingspan. Despite such impressive wings, domesticated moths are not able to fly. Their lifespan is only 12 days. Another interesting fact: the butterfly is not able to eat and throughout its butterfly life it is in a state of hunger due to the underdevelopment of the mouth and digestive organs.

Larvae and caterpillars

In order for larvae to emerge from the eggs, they are kept for 8-10 days at a certain air humidity and temperature - 24-25 °C. After the hairy, 3 mm larvae hatch, they are transferred to another, well-ventilated room, in special trays, where they begin to intensively feed on fresh mulberry leaves. Over the course of one month, the larva will molt 4 times and eventually develop into a large caterpillar (up to 8 cm in length and up to 1 cm in diameter) with a light pearl color and large jaws on a large head.
The most important organ of the caterpillar, which is why it is grown, is located under the lip. It has the appearance of a tubercle, from which a special liquid is released, which, when solidified, turns into a thin and strong thread - in the future, after certain manipulations, it will be turned into silk. The tubercle is the place where two silk-secreting glands meet; the fibroin thread secreted by them is glued in this place with the help of sericin (the natural glue of the caterpillar).

Pupation process (cocoon formation)

After the fourth molt and transformation from a larva into a caterpillar, the silkworm becomes less voracious. Gradually, the silk-secreting glands are completely filled, and the caterpillar begins to literally ooze it, continuously leaving behind a frozen secretion (fibroin) as it moves. At the same time, a noticeable change in its color occurs - it becomes translucent. What is happening indicates that the “silkworm” is entering the pupation phase. After this, it is transferred to a tray with small cocoon pegs, on which the silkworm settles and begins to spin its cocoon with a quick movement of its head, releasing up to 3 cm of thread per turn. Cocoons, depending on the type of silkworm, may have different shapes: round, elongated, oval. Their sizes vary from 1 to 6 cm. The color of the cocoon can be white, golden, and sometimes purple. The length of the thread used to create a cocoon can range from 800 m to 1500 m, thickness 0.011-0.012 mm (for example: human hair has a diameter of 0.04 - 0.12 mm).

Interesting fact: male cocoons have a denser structure and are of better quality.

Formation of silk thread from a cocoon

After many cocoons have appeared on the trays, they are collected and subjected to heat treatment, thereby killing the caterpillar inside to prevent the butterfly from hatching. During this process, more sorting and rejection is carried out. The cocoons remaining after sorting are subjected to softening and tousling, as well as the initial removal of impurities, by boiling them for several hours in a boiling soap solution or steaming them with steam. Following boiling or steaming, the cocoons are left to soak for some time. During the necessary procedures described above, the sericin (sticky substance) is washed out and impurities are removed, after which the multi-stage process of thread formation begins.

Silk cocoon fiber, at the initial stage of processing, consists of many elements, including: fibroin (protein) - up to 75% of the total weight, sericin (silk viscous, protein glue) - up to 23%, as well as wax, minerals and some from fats. In addition to the main ones (fibroin and sericin), there are about 18 more components.

Then, using a brush, the ends of the fiber are found and, depending on what the subsequent thickness of the silk thread should be, one or another number of cocoons are left. On average, it takes about 5,000 silkworm cocoons and 36 hours of winding to form one kilogram of fabric. For clarity of the described process, we recommend watching the following video, which shows a non-industrial, artisanal production method:

Preparatory work before bleaching and dyeing threads

As a rule, before dyeing or bleaching natural silk, it is first subjected to heat treatment in a special solution that removes residual sericin. The ingredients for a one-liter solution can be:

• 40% oleic soap – 3.6 g;
• soda ash – 0.25 g.

Threads are dipped into the prepared solution and boiled at a temperature of 95 ° C for half an hour, followed by thorough washing to wash out the remaining components for subsequent uniform dyeing. Composition of flushing liquid per liter of water:

• sodium hexametaphosphate – 0.5 g;
• ammonia – 0.5 ml.

Washing occurs at a temperature of 70 °C.

After the washing is completed, the threads are rinsed in non-hot water. The optimal temperature of the rinsed liquid is 50-55 °C.

Whitening

To get snow-white silk, it must be bleached. For bleaching, an alkaline solution is used, the main ingredient of which is ordinary hydrogen peroxide. The prepared raw materials are soaked, with periodic stirring, for 9-13 hours in a solution of water and peroxide heated to 70 °C.

Coloring

The dyeing process is no less labor-intensive. The main components in it can be: natural dyes, and their chemical analogues. Before painting, the raw materials are pre-etched with a 1% solution using metal salts. As a rule, the following are used as etching substances:

• potassium alum;
• inkstone;
• copper sulfate;
• chromium-potassium alum;
• chrompeak;
• tin chloride.

Before immersion in the pickling bath, the raw materials are soaked in water. After finishing the cold mordant, which lasts about 24 hours, the threads are also rinsed and dried. Silk is ready for dyeing.

There are many methods of coloring, some of which are still unknown to the general public, as they are the know-how of one or another master.

For those who want to practice dyeing silk in the microwave, we recommend watching this video:

Revival

To add shine and richness to the colors, the raw materials are treated with the essence of acetic acid.

Decatation

And finally, silk threads are treated with high-pressure steam for several minutes, this process is called decatification, its necessity is due to the removal of structural stress inside the threads themselves.

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Silk – soft fabric from threads extracted from the cocoon of the silkworm. Silk originally originated from China and was an important commodity that was transported to Europe along the Silk Road. Fiber thickness is 20–30 micrometers. The length of the silk thread (mulberry) from one cocoon reaches 400–1500 m. The thread has a triangular cross-section and, like a prism, refracts light, which causes a beautiful iridescence and shine.

Currently largest producer silk is China (about 50% of total world production). India produces about 15% of the world's silk, followed by Uzbekistan (about 3%) and Brazil (about 2.5%). Iran, Thailand and Vietnam are also significant producers.

Story

Legends about the appearance of silk in China

Silk is a waste product of the silkworm, which spins a strong cocoon around itself. But who was the first (or the first) to guess to unravel this cocoon and twist the thread, and then weave the fabric? There are many legends about this in China. The most famous of them connects the emergence of sericulture with Leizu, the eldest wife of the mythical Emperor Huang Di, who, according to traditional sources, ruled the Celestial Empire from 2698 to 2598 BC. e.

One day a young woman was drinking tea in the garden, under a mulberry tree. And several silkworm cocoons accidentally fell into the cup. She began to take them out, the cocoons began to unwind into a long thread. Then Leizu began to pick off the remaining cocoons hanging on the tree and unwind them. She wove fabric from the received threads and sewed clothes for her husband. Huang Di, having learned about this discovery, improved the methods of breeding silkworms and producing silk. This is how sericulture and silk weaving appeared.

Thanks to her discovery, Leizu also began to be called Xiling-chi - the Lady of the silkworm and she began to be considered the patron goddess of sericulture. Until now, in early April, festivals are held in honor of Leizu in Zhejiang province.

According to another legend, the most fantastic, there once lived a father and daughter, and they had a magical horse that not only could fly in the skies, but also understood human language. One day the father went about his business and disappeared. Then his daughter made an oath: if the horse could find her father, then she would marry this horse. The horse found his father, and they returned home together. However, when the father learned about this oath, he was shocked, and in order to prevent this marriage, he killed an innocent horse. But when they began to skin the carcass, the horse’s skin suddenly picked up the girl and carried her away. They flew and flew, and finally landed on a mulberry tree. And the moment the girl touched the branches, she turned into a silkworm. She released long and thin threads from herself that expressed her feeling of separation from her beloved horse.

Another legend says that the women of Ancient China discovered silk completely by accident. They were collecting fruits from trees and came across strange fruits white, too hard to eat. Then they began to boil them to soften them, but they were hardly fit for food. Eventually, the women lost patience and began to beat them with thick sticks. And it was then that silk and silkworms were discovered. It turned out that the white fruit was nothing more than the cocoon of a silkworm!

History of silk production

Existing legends are just beautiful legends of antiquity. According to archaeological data, the properties of the silkworm and the secret of making silk were known already 5 thousand years ago. Thus, during archaeological excavations in various areas of China in the cultural layers of the 3rd millennium BC. Fragments of silkworm cocoons were found.

The first silk fabrics were very rare and expensive, so they were worn only by rulers and their family members. In all likelihood, inside the palace they dressed in white clothes, and on ceremonial occasions - in yellow ones. With the expansion of production, silk gradually became available to the court and then to wider sections of the population.

Gradually, a real cult of silk arose in China. Old Chinese texts mention sacrifices to the Silkworm God, as well as sacred mulberry groves and the veneration of individual mulberry trees.

Making silk fabric

Fibrous raw materials successively go through the stages of sorting, tattering (to loosen the compressed mass of fibers and partially remove impurities), soaking and further drying (to remove sericin). This is followed by several stages of carding (converting the mass of fibers into combed fly with oriented fibers), during which long-fiber and short-fiber toil are formed, used to produce yarn with different properties. Next comes the stage of twisting the threads, from which the fabric will be made later in the weaving stage.

Finishing silk fabrics to give them useful properties consists of boiling stages (in a soap solution at a temperature of about 95 degrees for 1.5-3 hours to completely remove sericin, coloring and fatty substances); dyeing; revitalization (treatment with a solution of acetic acid for 15-30 minutes at a temperature of 30 ° C to add shine and richness to the color (for dyed fabrics)). Optional: to obtain white silk, the raw material is bleached with an alkaline solution of hydrogen peroxide at a temperature of 70 °C for 8-12 hours; To obtain silk with a pattern, an airbrush application method using stencils (for single copies) or hardware application of a pattern using mesh templates is used. The final finishing for all types of raw materials is decatification - treatment with hot steam under pressure for several minutes to relieve intramolecular stress in the fiber structure.

Types of silk

The difference between natural silk and artificial silk

“Fake silk” is woven from threads derived from cellulose materials.
It differs from the real one in less wear resistance, does not stimulate regeneration processes, lacks the ability to repel harmful insects, and is prone to electrification.

How is artificial silk determined?

• does not have an iridescent sheen, artificial fabric “glows” dimly;
• Unlike polyester fabrics, even the smooth appearance of silk has some surface imperfections;
• chill silk is woven from artificial threads;
• silk threads are dissolved in a warm 10% alkali solution;
• ignited artificial fibers emit the smell of burning plastic or wood;
• when clenched in a fist, creases with clear lines are formed.

Properties of silk

• Natural silk has a unique, pleasant, moderate shine that does not fade over the years. In the rays of the sun, silk fabric will sparkle and shimmer, playing various shades depending on the angle of incidence of light.
• Silk is highly hygroscopic (all silk fabrics absorb moisture equal to half their own weight and dry very quickly).
• Appearance of threads: white, slightly creamy, smooth, long (about 1000m), thin, soft.
• The thickness of the elementary thread is 10-12 microns, the complex thread is 32 microns.
• Silk is so light that 1 kg of finished fabric contains from 300 to 900 kilometers of thread.
• Silk has good mechanical properties: breaking stress is about 40 kgf/mm? (1 kgf/mm?=107n/m?); elongation at break 14–18%.
• In the wet state, the breaking stress drops by 10%, and the elongation at break increases by 10%.
• Silk is not very resistant to alkalis (it is quickly destroyed in a 5% NaOH solution); more resistant to mineral acids. Insoluble in ordinary organic solvents.
• Silk does not stretch or shrink
• Silk drapes beautifully. This property allows silk to be used not only to create clothing of almost any shape, but also for curtains, bed linen and other home furnishings.
• Silk's resistance to light is low. When exposed to direct sunlight, silk degrades faster than other natural fibers.
• Features of combustion: burns slowly, when removed from the flame the combustion itself dies out, there is a faint smell of burnt hair, the combustion product is black fluffy brittle ash.
• The production of silk is associated with high labor costs, which makes it one of the most expensive textile materials.

Application

As already indicated, the areas of use of this material are very extensive. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

Interior decoration

In the 90s of the last century, a new type of wall decoration appeared in European countries. For this, wet silk was used - a special plaster containing natural fibers. Wet silk was used in the decoration of elite premises. Now the wet silk look of decor has become more accessible.

Owners of entertainment venues should pay attention to wet silk. This material has an excellent texture, it does not burn or smolder, therefore from a fire safety point of view it is ideal. In addition, the wet finishing material is very beautiful and durable.

Tailoring

This is perhaps the most common area of ​​application for silk fabrics. Both natural and acetate silk, quite slightly different in properties. The fine silk fabric of plain weave perfectly accentuates the figure, is comfortable to wear and durable.

Parachute silk, which is highly durable, is often used to make wardrobe items. This type is also used in the production of various products: tents, seat and furniture upholstery, etc.

Home textiles

Beautiful shiny fabric looks great in the interior. It is used to make curtains, bed linen, furniture covers, bedspreads and much more.

Silk is an absolutely non-allergenic material. Dust mites and bedbugs do not breed on it. Therefore, for people suffering from allergies, this thin cloth fits best.

Medicine

Mulberry silk has the ability to absorb moisture to a much greater extent than other materials. However, it is not at all wet to the touch. Therefore, it is actively used in medicine.

It is an excellent suture material used in surgery. The suture type of matter does not dissolve for up to 3 months. Also, suture silk causes a minor initial inflammatory reaction in living tissue. Silk suture material is even used in ophthalmic and neurosurgery.

Needlework

This fabric makes excellent souvenirs. Mulberry silk or artificial silk is used in embroidery of paintings. When visiting the Vietnamese city of Dalat, tourists must visit the workshop of a family of embroiderers. There are very expensive unique canvases, hand-embroidered with natural silk threads on transparent fabric.

Buret silk (or other natural silk) is also used in knitting. Exquisite knitted items are made from it by hand or on special machines.

Care

In order for a silk product to serve for a long time and delight you with its beauty for many years, you must follow simple rules:

1. Silk scarves (scarves and other products) must be washed by hand, in warm (30-40 degrees) water, without pre-soaking, without bleaches.
2. For washing, use mild detergents for silk (such as Laska), neutral shampoo or baby soap. Pour water into a bowl, add a couple of drops (you don’t need much) of detergent, shake it until foamy. Only after this, lower the silk into the water.
3. When washing and rinsing, it is not recommended to rub silk with your hands, because The fabric is very delicate and can lose its beauty under strong pressure. Swirl the fabric in the soapy solution for a couple of minutes, lift it out of the water several times and lower it down. After such simple movements in a soap solution, the silk can be rinsed in cool water. However, during the first washes, slight coloration of the water may occur. Don't be scared! If the water remains the same clear, but is slightly colored, the product does not lose color. This is excess paint coming out of very bright products.
4. To refresh the color, it is advisable to rinse the silk in cool water with the addition of vinegar (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water). The water should be slightly sour. But you don’t have to do this. Rinse the silk and drain the water until no foam remains.
5. The silk must be squeezed out carefully, without twisting. Do not forget that silk, even satin, is very delicate and delicate fabric! Squeeze it between both hands until the water stops flowing. After this, you can wring it out in a clean towel.
6. It is better to dry silk in a straightened form, away from heating devices, so as not to form wrinkles, which you will then have to wet again to smooth it out. The exception is silk dyed using the shibori method, when the fabric is specially given texture. After the final wash, it is twisted into a rope (not too much) and dried without unrolling.
7. It is best to iron silk while it is damp, because... Silk is smoothed better when wet with the hottest possible iron in the “cotton” mode. Natural silk is not afraid of temperature and will not melt like artificial (viscose and acetate) or synthetic (polyester and nylon) fabrics. On the wrong side, in the “silk” mode, you should also iron dyed items. acrylic paint and having a contour (convex) pattern. For reliability, it is better to iron them through a thin cotton cloth.
8. Avoid contact with silk products chemicals(perfume, cream, hairspray, deodorant). This can cause paints to lose their brightness or even become discolored. To prevent this from happening, tie a scarf after the perfume has dried.
9. Gently wipe sweat stains and other heavily soiled areas with alcohol.

1. To produce 500 grams of silk, you need about 3 thousand silkworm cocoons. It takes 12 hours of work to form a skein of silk thread weighing 250 grams.
2. Silk thread has amazing strength, it can withstand strong pressure and is very tensile. It was recently discovered that 16 layers of silk can withstand a .357 Magnum bullet (with a lead core).
3. Products made from natural silk do not harbor dust mites. Silk owes this property to sericin. Sericin, silk glue, viscous protein of natural silk. Most of it is washed out when processing (rinsing) the silk in hot water, but what remains is enough to resist the appearance of dust mites. Thanks to this, natural silk is absolutely hypoallergenic.
4. Distinguish natural silk You can get rid of non-natural ones using the “burning” test. As with wool, burning silk emits bad smell, and if the source of fire is removed, the material stops burning, and the thread itself then crumbles into ash.
5. 80% of all silk produced in the world belongs to China.
6. For more than three thousand years, China kept the secret of this amazing material, and any attempt to take silkworm cocoons out of the country was punishable by death. According to legend, only in 550 AD, two wandering monks hollowed out small holes in their staffs, where they hid the silkworm larvae. This is how silk came to Byzantium.
7. In India, silk appeared thanks to the cunning of the Indian king, who wooed a Chinese princess and demanded mulberry seeds and silkworm larvae as a dowry. Unable to refuse the groom, the princess hid the seeds and larvae in her hair and took them out of the country.
8. To create just one meter of silk, an average of 2,800 to 3,300 cocoons are required, a tie requires 110, 650 is required to make a blouse, and a silk blanket can require up to 12,000 silkworm cocoons.
9. If you unravel the threads of ten silkworm cocoons, there will be enough threads to cover Everest.
10. One of the most valuable properties silk – thermoregulation. In hot weather, natural silk “cools”, and in winter it retains heat perfectly. At the same time, silk products absorb moisture well.

- This is an expensive, glossy and smooth fabric. To produce silk thread, the cocoons of the silkworm, a medium-sized, light-colored butterfly that feeds on mulberry leaves, are unwound. Clothes, household textiles, and bedding sets are made from silk.

Natural material is not cheap, so attempts have been made repeatedly to make an analogue or substitute. Artificial fabric was invented, and it began to be produced from either synthetic fibers. Often, a silk substitute is visually indistinguishable from natural material, but is inferior in properties. To learn how to distinguish between materials, let’s take a closer look at the manufacturing technology, fabric characteristics and techniques that will help establish the truth and avoid making mistakes when purchasing.

The Silk Road: History

According to legend, silk was invented by the Chinese Empress Xi Ling Shi. She accidentally unwound the cocoon of an insect that fell into a cup of tea, and then wove it into a cloth. The Empress watched the life of silkworms for a long time and over time taught the art of silk making to her entire court and her close maids. Therefore, traditionally silk in China was made by women. Xi Ling Shi began to be revered as a goddess, the patroness of this matter.

Silkworm

The secret of making fabric was strictly guarded. Only the emperor and his family, as well as the most senior officials, had the right to wear silk robes. No country in the world has the secret of growing silkworms. It was only in 522 that cocoons appeared in Byzantium and Arab countries, while Chinese craftswomen wove silk three millennia ago. In Europe, the process was improved, automated, and the fabric became more accessible. However, to this day China is the main supplier of silk.

In 1931, attempts were made to create textile fibers from soybeans, but the development did not achieve commercial success because nylon was invented. Polymer fibers turned out to be cheap and durable, and they began to be used in the creation of various types of textiles, including silk. The material was also made from cellulose fibers called viscose. This material is not chemical; its creation involves processing raw materials, not synthesizing them. Artificial materials look so realistic that they can easily be confused with natural fabric.

Production and characteristics of natural silk

Silk cannot be made without obtaining the coveted cocoons. This is why silkworms were domesticated. The insects are raised by feeding crushed mulberry leaves and then killed with hot steam when they pupate. Under influence high temperature and moisture, the adhesive layer connecting the fibers dissolves, and the cocoon can be unwound.

From just one cocoon you can get one and a half kilometers of fiber, which consists of proteins and has a triangular cross-section that refracts light (thanks to this feature, the fabric shines). Silk contains useful material, produced by insects: wax, fats, amino acids, sodium and potassium.

The fibers are sorted, dyed, woven into threads, and treated with various impregnations that protect the future material from moisture and shrinkage. The silk is then woven different kinds fabrics:

• – smooth and glossy material;
• gas - weightless translucent fabric;
• crepe - a rough fabric made of twisted fibers;
• – light and stiff fabric;
• satin - smooth, shiny material;
• – hard, shiny fabric;
• toile – colored printed fabric;
• – sandy, flowing matter;
• chesucha - a dense and light material woven from fibers of uneven thickness;
• foulard - “shawl” fabric.

In addition to external beauty, natural silk has a huge number of advantages:

• breathability;
• hygroscopicity;
• hygiene;
• thermoregulation;
• elasticity;
• strength.

The only drawback of this material is the cost, which is why silk clothing has become a symbol of high status and well-being of the owner. Sew from silk:

• women's and men's clothing(dresses, skirts, shirts, ties);
• underwear and home clothes(panties, bras, dressing gowns);
• bedding sets;
• curtains;
• accessories (neck scarves, hair ornaments and ribbons).

Silk products are very pleasant to the skin, cool, and do not cause irritation. For almost five thousand years, humanity has valued this fabric due to its practicality and extraordinary beauty.

Making viscose silk

The first artificial analogue of fabric was developed in the 1890s from viscose. This material was made from cellulose, that is, essentially from wood. The wood chips were treated with caustic salt and then passed through perforated filters to produce fibers.

Viscose is durable artificial material. Attempts to create such a fabric were made from 1664 until, at the end of the 19th century, English chemists improved the creation of viscose fiber by developing the process of xanthogenation, when the raw material is treated with carbon disulfide.

Viscose silk is soft and pleasant to the touch, forms beautiful folds, absorbs moisture and is easy to dye. Unlike synthetic fibers, viscose does not electrify. Of course, the cost of this material is much more affordable than natural one.

Acetate silk

Like viscose, it is created from cellulose. The raw material is treated with acetic anhydrite and is called cellulose acetate. The heated material becomes plastic and strong, flexible fibers are made from it.

Acetate is a flexible material, shiny and affordable. However, “wood” silk has a number of disadvantages:

• does not absorb moisture well;
• low strength;
• transmits ultraviolet radiation;
• when wet, it stains the skin and adjacent tissues;
• sticks and melts when heated;
• electrified.

Synthetic silk

Sometimes, under the guise of silk, you can find ordinary or polyacrylic. Chemical fabrics are light, shiny, with a smooth surface and really resemble natural material, but they differ in feel and comfort parameters.

Nylon, for example, was invented by the chemist W. Carothers when he was studying polymers. The fiber consists of polyamide, that is, a plastic obtained by chemical means. Despite the affordable price and good wear resistance, synthetics have disadvantages:

• tendency to accumulate static electricity;
• low-quality fabric fades;
• may cause an allergic reaction;
• ignites.

How to distinguish natural silk from substitutes and imitators

With a brief examination of the properties of materials of different origins, it is easy to see that natural silk wins in all respects. This is a strong, beautiful, durable material, although expensive. Artificial silk also has a right to exist, it is used for various purposes, and its price is appropriate. However, unscrupulous sellers may offer an analogue instead of natural material, leaving a high price.

Let's take a closer look at the differences in fabrics, the subtleties of selection and quality control.

• The first rule is to read the labels. A natural silk product should be labeled as “100% silk” or, better yet, “100% organic silk” (this means that no hormones were used in raising the silkworms and that the mulberries were not treated with pesticides).
• Artificial silk has a duller shine than natural silk. Due to imperfect threads, the front side may be uneven or grainy.
• Unnatural silk wrinkles and retains wrinkles and creases if the fabric is released after compression. Real fabric retains barely noticeable folds.
• The surest way is to set the thread on fire. Various materials They burn and smell differently. Natural silk burns poorly and slowly and smells like burnt feathers. During combustion, a dense grayish ball is formed. After the fiber burns, it leaves behind a black ash that resembles grated coal. Silk and natural wool burn equally.
• Burning viscose smells like wood or paper and is showered with ash. The material burns out very quickly.
• Synthetic threads do not burn, but melt and smell chemically. A hard, burnt lump remains at the end of the fiber.
• Acetate silk first melts and only then begins to burn. A brittle hollow ball forms at the end of the fiber.
• Viscose darkens if you drop it on it. vegetable oil, and also turns red upon contact with sulfuric acid.
• Acetate dissolves when interacting with acetone and becomes sticky.
• Natural silk dissolves in alkali.
• A piece of natural material can be applied to the cheek - there should be a feeling of smoothness and comfort, no irritation or roughness.

Unfortunately, the buyer does not always have the opportunity to conduct chemical experiments on the product he likes, much less burn it. If there is no way to check silk in this way, then you should contact serious, well-known, well-established stores and boutiques.

In an establishment with a good reputation, the consultant is obliged to tell about the features of the fabric and the place of its manufacture. The seller must show everything Required documents, if the buyer requires them. Patience and friendliness of the staff – sure sign that they are selling you genuine silk and have no doubt about its quality.

Natural silk is a delicate material. It can be washed by hand or by machine, choosing a delicate cycle. The clean cloth is rinsed, and only then carefully squeezed and dried, straightened. Silk does not like long exposure to the sun, so it is better to dry things in the shade or in a ventilated area. Iron the fabric with a low-heat iron in the appropriate mode.

Despite the high price, it is believed that natural silk is best material for clothes. It's safe, beautiful and will last long years, will decorate the owner and make him happy high quality and comfortable tactile sensations.

A variety of products made from natural silk have always been highly valued and are still valued to this day. Luxurious bed linen, magnificent flowing dresses made of silk have not only wonderful appearance, but also physical properties. Unfortunately or fortunately, there are many silk substitutes on the market today. On the one hand, natural silk is not cheap, and artificial substitutes allow buyers of any income to purchase beautiful thing, on the other hand, many unscrupulous sellers can sell products made from artificial silk under the guise and at the price of natural silk, and here it is already important to be able to distinguish natural silk from artificial silk.

Properties of natural silk

Like any other natural material, silk has a number of unique properties.

1. Silk absorbs moisture very well;

2. Natural silk is characterized by low sensitivity to organic solvents such as alcohol or vinegar;

3. When burning, the fire spreads very slowly and dies out quickly;

4. In hot weather, silk items are cool, and in cool weather they are quite warm;

5. Excellent thermal conductivity. Silk quickly adapts to ambient temperature;

6. High strength in dry condition and somewhat lower in wet condition;

7. Excellent hygienic properties;

8. Excellent drapability;

9. Characteristic shine after appropriate processing.

Determining natural silk

So we got to the main and most topical issue: “How to distinguish natural silk from artificial silk?” It should be immediately noted that it is almost impossible for a non-professional to identify natural silk by the appearance of the material. In addition, very often silk items contain admixtures of other materials to impart additional properties. For example, to give the item elasticity, 3% elastane, etc. can be added to silk. So, how can you determine whether something is being offered to you that is natural?

1. Set it on fire. The most reliable, but not very humane method of determining the authenticity of a silk item. You're unlikely to set a beautiful robe on fire in a fitting room in a store, but some items come with small pieces of fabric to confirm authenticity. You can also take a piece of fabric from the inner strings of a robe, etc.

So, how does natural silk burn and how do synthetic items behave during ignition? Synthetics burn actively and you end up with a melted edge, while natural silk fades very quickly, forming a soft dark gray crumb at the edges, which is very easy to remove by hand. When the silk burns, you can notice the smell of burnt feathers.

2. Electrify. A more humane, but less indicative way to check the naturalness of a material is to rub it against plastic. Natural silk is practically not electrified, while the opposite should be noted with the same satin. If the material sticks to your hands and feet and becomes electrified, it is definitely not natural silk.

3. Apply the material to your face. If you bring natural silk to your face, it immediately acquires body temperature. Synthetic materials remain cold for a long time.

4. Try to crumple it. The creaseability of natural silk is very low. Try squeezing the material in your hand - if it is very wrinkled, forming folds, then it is not natural silk.

5. Examine the front and back sides of the product. Natural silk will be equally soft on both sides. If one side of the product is smooth and the other is rough, then this means that this is artificial silk.

If this is a silk scarf, then its edge must be hemmed by hand, although in some fakes you can also find a hand-hemmed edge.

How to wash natural silk?

It is best to wash items made from natural silk by hand with a mild liquid shampoo. Washing powder not suitable for washing silk items. Soapy water can also leave streaks behind.

Dry silk items in washing machine Absolutely forbidden. It is better to iron them in a delicate mode while still wet without using steam. Silk “does not like” steam.

Silk is a soft fabric made from threads extracted from the cocoon of the silkworm. Silk originally originated from China and was an important commodity that was transported to Europe along the Silk Road. Fiber thickness is 20–30 micrometers. The length of the silk thread (mulberry) from one cocoon reaches 400–1500 m. The thread has a triangular cross-section and, like a prism, refracts light, which causes a beautiful iridescence and shine.

Currently, the largest producer of silk is China (about 50% of total world production). India produces about 15% of the world's silk, followed by Uzbekistan (about 3%) and Brazil (about 2.5%). Iran, Thailand and Vietnam are also significant producers.

Story

Legends about the appearance of silk in China

Silk is a waste product of the silkworm, which spins a strong cocoon around itself. But who was the first (or the first) to guess to unravel this cocoon and twist the thread, and then weave the fabric? There are many legends about this in China. The most famous of them connects the emergence of sericulture with Leizu, the eldest wife of the mythical Emperor Huang Di, who, according to traditional sources, ruled the Celestial Empire from 2698 to 2598 BC. e.

One day a young woman was drinking tea in the garden, under a mulberry tree. And several silkworm cocoons accidentally fell into the cup. She began to take them out, the cocoons began to unwind into a long thread. Then Leizu began to pick off the remaining cocoons hanging on the tree and unwind them. She wove fabric from the received threads and sewed clothes for her husband. Huang Di, having learned about this discovery, improved the methods of breeding silkworms and producing silk. This is how sericulture and silk weaving appeared.

Thanks to her discovery, Leizu also began to be called Xiling-chi - the Lady of the silkworm and she began to be considered the patron goddess of sericulture. Until now, in early April, festivals are held in honor of Leizu in Zhejiang province.

According to another legend, the most fantastic, there once lived a father and daughter, and they had a magical horse that not only could fly in the skies, but also understood human language. One day the father went about his business and disappeared. Then his daughter made an oath: if the horse could find her father, then she would marry this horse. The horse found his father, and they returned home together. However, when the father learned about this oath, he was shocked, and in order to prevent this marriage, he killed an innocent horse. But when they began to skin the carcass, the horse’s skin suddenly picked up the girl and carried her away. They flew and flew, and finally landed on a mulberry tree. And the moment the girl touched the branches, she turned into a silkworm. She released long and thin threads from herself that expressed her feeling of separation from her beloved horse.

Another legend says that the women of Ancient China discovered silk completely by accident. They were collecting fruits from the trees and came across strange white fruits that were too hard to eat. Then they began to boil them to soften them, but they were hardly fit for food. Eventually, the women lost patience and began to beat them with thick sticks. And it was then that silk and silkworms were discovered. It turned out that the white fruit was nothing more than the cocoon of a silkworm!

History of silk production

Existing legends are just beautiful legends of antiquity. According to archaeological data, the properties of the silkworm and the secret of making silk were known already 5 thousand years ago. Thus, during archaeological excavations in various areas of China in the cultural layers of the 3rd millennium BC. Fragments of silkworm cocoons were found.

The first silk fabrics were very rare and expensive, so they were worn only by rulers and their family members. In all likelihood, inside the palace they dressed in white clothes, and on ceremonial occasions - in yellow ones. With the expansion of production, silk gradually became available to the court and then to wider sections of the population.

Gradually, a real cult of silk arose in China. Old Chinese texts mention sacrifices to the Silkworm God, as well as sacred mulberry groves and the veneration of individual mulberry trees.

Making silk fabric

Fibrous raw materials successively go through the stages of sorting, tattering (to loosen the compressed mass of fibers and partially remove impurities), soaking and further drying (to remove sericin). This is followed by several stages of carding (converting the mass of fibers into combed fly with oriented fibers), during which long-fiber and short-fiber toil are formed, used to produce yarn with different properties. Next comes the stage of twisting the threads, from which the fabric will be made later in the weaving stage.

Finishing silk fabrics to give them beneficial properties consists of the stages of boiling (in a soap solution at a temperature of about 95 degrees for 1.5-3 hours to completely remove sericin, dyes and fatty substances); dyeing; revitalization (treatment with a solution of acetic acid for 15-30 minutes at a temperature of 30 ° C to add shine and richness to the color (for dyed fabrics)). Optional: to obtain white silk, the raw material is bleached with an alkaline solution of hydrogen peroxide at a temperature of 70 °C for 8-12 hours; To obtain silk with a pattern, an airbrush application method using stencils (for single copies) or hardware application of a pattern using mesh templates is used. The final finishing for all types of raw materials is decatification - treatment with hot steam under pressure for several minutes to relieve intramolecular stress in the fiber structure.

Types of silk

The difference between natural silk and artificial silk

“Fake silk” is woven from threads derived from cellulose materials.
It differs from the real one in less wear resistance, does not stimulate regeneration processes, lacks the ability to repel harmful insects, and is prone to electrification.

How is artificial silk determined?

• does not have an iridescent sheen, artificial fabric “glows” dimly;
• Unlike polyester fabrics, even the smooth appearance of silk has some surface imperfections;
• chill silk is woven from artificial threads;
• silk threads are dissolved in a warm 10% alkali solution;
• ignited artificial fibers emit the smell of burning plastic or wood;
• when clenched in a fist, creases with clear lines are formed.

Properties of silk

• Natural silk has a unique, pleasant, moderate shine that does not fade over the years. In the rays of the sun, silk fabric will sparkle and shimmer, playing with different shades depending on the angle of incidence of the light.
• Silk is highly hygroscopic (all silk fabrics absorb moisture equal to half their own weight and dry very quickly).
• Appearance of threads: white, slightly creamy, smooth, long (about 1000m), thin, soft.
• The thickness of the elementary thread is 10-12 microns, the complex thread is 32 microns.
• Silk is so light that 1 kg of finished fabric contains from 300 to 900 kilometers of thread.
• Silk has good mechanical properties: breaking stress is about 40 kgf/mm? (1 kgf/mm?=107n/m?); elongation at break 14–18%.
• In the wet state, the breaking stress drops by 10%, and the elongation at break increases by 10%.
• Silk is not very resistant to alkalis (it is quickly destroyed in a 5% NaOH solution); more resistant to mineral acids. Insoluble in ordinary organic solvents.
• Silk does not stretch or shrink
• Silk drapes beautifully. This property allows silk to be used not only to create clothing of almost any shape, but also for curtains, bed linen and other home furnishings.
• Silk's resistance to light is low. When exposed to direct sunlight, silk degrades faster than other natural fibers.
• Features of combustion: burns slowly, when removed from the flame the combustion itself dies out, there is a faint smell of burnt hair, the combustion product is black fluffy brittle ash.
• The production of silk is associated with high labor costs, which makes it one of the most expensive textile materials.

Application

As already indicated, the areas of use of this material are very extensive. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

Interior decoration

In the 90s of the last century, a new type of wall decoration appeared in European countries. For this, wet silk was used - a special plaster containing natural fibers. Wet silk was used in the decoration of elite premises. Now the wet silk look of decor has become more accessible.

Owners of entertainment venues should pay attention to wet silk. This material has an excellent texture, it does not burn or smolder, therefore from a fire safety point of view it is ideal. In addition, the wet finishing material is very beautiful and durable.

Tailoring

This is perhaps the most common area of ​​application for silk fabrics. For tailoring, both natural and acetate silk are used, which differ slightly in properties. The fine silk fabric of plain weave perfectly accentuates the figure, is comfortable to wear and durable.

Parachute silk, which is highly durable, is often used to make wardrobe items. This type is also used in the production of various products: tents, seat and furniture upholstery, etc.

Home textiles

Beautiful shiny fabric looks great in the interior. It is used to make curtains, bed linen, furniture covers, bedspreads and much more.

Silk is an absolutely non-allergenic material. Dust mites and bedbugs do not breed on it. Therefore, this thin fabric is best suited for people suffering from allergies.

Medicine

Mulberry silk has the ability to absorb moisture to a much greater extent than other materials. However, it is not at all wet to the touch. Therefore, it is actively used in medicine.

It is an excellent suture material used in surgery. The suture type of matter does not dissolve for up to 3 months. Also, suture silk causes a minor initial inflammatory reaction in living tissue. Silk suture material is even used in ophthalmic and neurosurgery.

Needlework

This fabric makes excellent souvenirs. Mulberry silk or artificial silk is used in embroidery of paintings. When visiting the Vietnamese city of Dalat, tourists must visit the workshop of a family of embroiderers. There are very expensive unique canvases, hand-embroidered with natural silk threads on transparent fabric.

Buret silk (or other natural silk) is also used in knitting. Exquisite knitted items are made from it by hand or on special machines.

Care

In order for a silk product to serve for a long time and delight you with its beauty for many years, you must follow simple rules:

1. Silk scarves (scarves and other products) must be washed by hand, in warm (30-40 degrees) water, without pre-soaking, without bleaches.
2. For washing, use mild detergents for silk (such as Laska), neutral shampoo or baby soap. Pour water into a bowl, add a couple of drops (you don’t need much) of detergent, shake it until foamy. Only after this, lower the silk into the water.
3. When washing and rinsing, it is not recommended to rub silk with your hands, because The fabric is very delicate and can lose its beauty under strong pressure. Swirl the fabric in the soapy solution for a couple of minutes, lift it out of the water several times and lower it down. After such simple movements in a soap solution, the silk can be rinsed in cool water. However, during the first washes, slight coloration of the water may occur. Don't be scared! If the water remains the same clear, but is slightly colored, the product does not lose color. This is excess paint coming out of very bright products.
4. To refresh the color, it is advisable to rinse the silk in cool water with the addition of vinegar (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water). The water should be slightly sour. But you don’t have to do this. Rinse the silk and drain the water until no foam remains.
5. The silk must be squeezed out carefully, without twisting. Don’t forget that silk, even satin, is a very soft and delicate fabric! Squeeze it between both hands until the water stops flowing. After this, you can wring it out in a clean towel.
6. It is better to dry silk in a straightened form, away from heating devices, so as not to form wrinkles, which you will then have to wet again to smooth it out. The exception is silk dyed using the shibori method, when the fabric is specially given texture. After the final wash, it is twisted into a rope (not too much) and dried without unrolling.
7. It is best to iron silk while it is damp, because... Silk is smoothed better when wet with the hottest possible iron in the “cotton” mode. Natural silk is not afraid of temperature and will not melt like artificial (viscose and acetate) or synthetic (polyester and nylon) fabrics. From the reverse side, in the “silk” mode, you should also iron products painted with acrylic paint and having a contour (convex) pattern. For reliability, it is better to iron them through a thin cotton cloth.
8. Avoid contact with silk products with chemicals (perfume, cream, hairspray, deodorant). This can cause paints to lose their brightness or even become discolored. To prevent this from happening, tie a scarf after the perfume has dried.
9. Gently wipe sweat stains and other heavily soiled areas with alcohol.

1. To produce 500 grams of silk, you need about 3 thousand silkworm cocoons. It takes 12 hours of work to form a skein of silk thread weighing 250 grams.
2. Silk thread has amazing strength, it can withstand strong pressure and is very tensile. It was recently discovered that 16 layers of silk can withstand a .357 Magnum bullet (with a lead core).
3. Products made from natural silk do not harbor dust mites. Silk owes this property to sericin. Sericin, silk glue, viscous protein of natural silk. Most of it is washed out when processing (rinsing) the silk in hot water, but what remains is enough to resist the appearance of dust mites. Thanks to this, natural silk is absolutely hypoallergenic.
4. You can distinguish natural silk from non-natural silk using the “burning” test. As with wool, burning silk emits an unpleasant odor, and if the source of the fire is removed, the material stops burning and the thread itself then disintegrates into ash.
5. 80% of all silk produced in the world belongs to China.
6. For more than three thousand years, China kept the secret of this amazing material, and any attempt to take silkworm cocoons out of the country was punishable by death. According to legend, only in 550 AD, two wandering monks hollowed out small holes in their staffs, where they hid the silkworm larvae. This is how silk came to Byzantium.
7. In India, silk appeared thanks to the cunning of the Indian king, who wooed a Chinese princess and demanded mulberry seeds and silkworm larvae as a dowry. Unable to refuse the groom, the princess hid the seeds and larvae in her hair and took them out of the country.
8. To create just one meter of silk, an average of 2,800 to 3,300 cocoons are required, a tie requires 110, 650 is required to make a blouse, and a silk blanket can require up to 12,000 silkworm cocoons.
9. If you unravel the threads of ten silkworm cocoons, there will be enough threads to cover Everest.
10. One of the most valuable properties of silk is thermoregulation. In hot weather, natural silk “cools”, and in winter it retains heat perfectly. At the same time, silk products absorb moisture well.