Abstract
Hydrolysis rate and activation energy of Antheraea pernyi silk fiber treated with HCI were examined. Thermal decomposition temperature and surface morphology were also investigated by using differential scanning calorimeter and scanning electron microscope. As the concentration of hydrochloric acid and the treatment temperature increased, the hydrolysis occurred more rapidly. The activation energy of Antheraea pernyi, 74.0 kJ/mol, was higher than that of Bombyx mori, 58.1 kJ/mol. As the concentration of hydrochloric acid increases, the activation energy of Antheraea pernyi decreased from 74.0 kJ/mol to 62.0 kJ/mol. The shape of acid-resistance fraction of Antheraea pernyi became more distroyed and was transformed from fiber to powdered form with an increase of hydrolysis rate. The thermal decomposition temperature of Antheraea pernyi was 360.8$^{\circ}C$ until the hydrolysis rate was 81.8 wt%, but ti decreased to 347.0$^{\circ}C$ when the hydrolysis rate was 93.8 wt%.
