• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.52-59
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• 1993

Raw silk degumming, by which the sericin and other marterials are eliminated from fibroin, is very essential process to produce silk fabrics. Alkali chemicals and enzymes have been used for the silk-degumming process. In this paper, the effect of heat treatment was investigated on silk fibers degummed by two different methods, soap and enzymatic degumming method. The difference between these two degumming methods was analyzed on the basis of results of mechanical testing, thermal analysis and intrated spectroscopy. The tenacity and the elongation of silk fiber are decreased by the heat-treatment in wet state. This tendency is observed in both cases of two degumming methods. The peak temperature in DSC analysis, which is attributed to thermal decomposition of silk fiber, was shifted to higher value with the heat-treatment temperature for the soap degummed silk fiber, however, it was not for the enzymatic degummed one. The IR crystallinity of soap digummed silk fiber is increased with the heat-treatment temperature, while that of enzymatic degummed fiber is not.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.41-51
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• 1992

In this thesis, both soap and enzymatic degumming method were adopted and the optimum degumming conditions were obtained. Difference between the two degumming methods in silk fiber state was investigated and analyzed on the basis of the results of physical testings, polarizing microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, viscosity measurement, (${\alpha}$＋$\varepsilon$) amino group contents measurement, birefringence measurement, amino acid analysis, thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis. The results obtained were summarized as follows; Physical test results of the degummed silk fiber showed that the tenacity and the elongation of enzymatic degummed silk fiber were lower than those of soap degummed fiber. But SEM observation and amino acid analysis showed almost the same tendency in the two degumming methods. The viscosity of enzymatic degummed silk fiber was lower than that of soap degummed fiber, but (${\alpha}$＋$\varepsilon$) amino group contents was higher in the enzymatic degummed fiber. It can be suggested that the enzymatic degummed silk fibroin was more degraded than the soap degummed fibroin. The birefringence, endothermic temperature of DSC spectrum, IR crystallinity and X-ray lateral order factor of enzymatic degummed silk fiber were higher than those of soap degummed fiber. It seems that the enzymatic degummed silk fiber has the higher crystallinity than that of soap degummed one according to the above results. However, it can be inferred that these differences between soap and enzymatic degummed fiber would be lessened if pretreatment and aftertreatment were included in the enzymatic degumming process.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 1972

The tensile properties of cocoon filament obtained from the dried cocoon were studied by deniroscope and tensilon with special attachments. The strength and dried elongation at break feint with dry and swollen samples were observed. The apparent young's modulus was also calculated with the dry samples. The results obtained are as follows. 1) The breaking strength of dry and swollen samples decreased in parallel with denier decreasing ratio in the whole length of a cocoon filament. 2) Tensile strength of inner-layer filament, when treated at the temperature of 95$^{\circ}C$ for 15 min., was 37 per cent of outer-layer filament. 3) By swelling treatment, the breaking strength of the filament was decreased but the elongation was increased. 4) Apparent young's modulus and tensile strength per denier of inner-layer filament were higher than those of the rest cocoon layer.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.31-35
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• 1973

Strength, elongation and elasticity are essential properties with regard to the tensile properties of raw silk thread. The reasonable harmony of the above three physical characters appears to be the specific nature of the raw silk thread and the dynamical functions are determined by the cocoon filament forming the raw silk. From such viewpoint, the author has studied the tensile property of the thread when the cocoon filament is stretched and transformed. The results obtained are as follows: 1) The stretching strength of the inner layer filament is stronger than that of the outer and medium layer ones. 2) The stretching strength of the filaments is influenced by the moisture-heat denaturalization of cocoon layer sericin in the drying process. 3) The more transformed functions by the stretching become, the lower the elasticity index of the cocoon filament was shown. 4) When cocoon layer sericin is denatured by moisture and heat, elasticity index of the filament is decreased.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.26-45
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• 1980

Silk protein is synthesized in the silkgland of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. It is evident that silk productivity is one of the high heritable characters from the genetical aspects. It is also changed with the environmental circumstances. With this regard, this paper dealt with the varietal patterns of silkgland development and the factors concerning to the silk productivity of silkgland of silkworm by the synthesis of nucleic acids, profiles of amino acids and histological basis, using the eight parent silkworm varieties and their F$_1$ hybrids. 1. The weight of silkgland per larva increased proportionally in the F$_1$ hybrids which were crossed between longer silk yielding varieties. The silk content to the weight of the silkgland was higher in the longer silk yielding varieties than that in the shorter silk yielding varieties. 2. It was observed that the morphological changes of nuclei took place in the posterior silkgland cells with the larval development of the 5th instar. In varietal aspect, Jam 107 and Jam 108, longer silk yielding varieties, showed more branches in nuclei than the $N_2$ and $C_{60}$ which were shorter yielding ones. 3. It was observed that there was a high correlation between RNA content per unit weight of silkgland on the 6th day stage of 5th instar and silk productivity both in the parents and their F$_1$ hybrids. 4. RNA and DNA synthesis brought about thirty percent increase in the posterior silkgland of the longer silk yielding varieties during the 2nd day to the 4th day stages of the 5th instar, when compared with those in the posterior silkgland of the shorter silk yielding varieties. 5. RNA/DNA ratio in the posterior silkgland on the 2nd day and 4th day stages of the 5th instar was more increased in the longer silk yielding varieties than the shorter silk yielding varieties. 6. It was shown that DNA content for the longer silk yielding varieties came to be 374$\mu\textrm{g}$ per larva in the posterior division of silkgland on the 4th day stage of 5th instar, whereas it was 199$\mu\textrm{g}$ per larva for the shorter silk yielding varieties. 7 There was 34.8％ Alanine, 22.8％ Glycine, 9.1％ Serine and 7.3％ Tyrosine in the posterior division of silkgland as major amino acids. It is noticed that there was a little differences between the amino acids composition of posterior silkgland and silk fibroin. 8. There was some differences in the amino acids composition of posterior silkgland between pure lines and their hybrids. Glycine, Serine and acidic amino acids, essential to silk formation, seemed to be increased in the F$_1$ hybrids, whereas other amino acids such as Valine, Iso-leucine, Leucine, Lysine. Phenylalanine, Histidine and Arginine were reduced. 9. The content of Glycine, Alanine and Serine in the posterior division of silkgland was elevated in the longer silk yielding varieties than the others. Consequently. these three amino acids in the posterior silkgland seemed to be related to the silk yielding ability in the longer silk yielding varieties.s.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.87-92
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• 1991

The shrinkages and physical properties of silk yarn were studied on the effect of treatment concentration, time and temperature with various neutral salts. The degummed silk yarn was shrunk about 35 percent by highly concentrated solution of Ca(NO3)2 on conditions of S.G.(special gravity) 1.45 at 9$0^{\circ}C$ or S. G. 1.46 at 8$0^{\circ}C$. About 40 percent of silk yarn was contracted in length by the treatment of CaCl2 solution on conditions of S. G. 1.33 at 9$0^{\circ}C$ for 5 mins. or at 85$^{\circ}C$ for 10 mins. By treating the concentrated solution of LiBr the silk yarn showed about 40 percent of shrinkage on a conditions of S. G. 1.38, $25^{\circ}C$ 24hrs. The physical properties of salt-treated silk yarn could be significantly changed with shrinkage variations. There were some differences in shrinkages between different type of salts. However, it was observed that generally the tenacity was decreased and breaking elongation increased as the shrinkage increased. The bulkiness of salt-treated silk yarn was increased by 110 to 120 percent compared with untreated yarn.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.496-499
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• 1996

In order to develop the functional diet food, characteristics of chitosan and silk fibroin composite was designed. Chitosan extracted from a prawn and silk fibroin was prepared from silkworm. The silk fibroin was dissolved rapidly in the 8M LiBr at a temperature of more than 4$0^{\circ}C$. Amino acid composition of fibroin composite revealed the same pattern that of native silk fibroin and regenerated silk fibroin. Predominant amino acid of chitosan-fibroin composite contained glycine, alanine, serine, tyrosine, threonine, and glutamic acid in order. According to the basis on the infrared spectrum, chitosan-silk fibroin composite is not distinguished differents composite ratio of chitosan and silk fibroin.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.29-33
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• 1973

This experimental work was carried out to examine the relation between the filament characteristic and the tensile property of various cocoon varieties. Cocoons of 21 varieties were used as materials, from which, bave denier (X$_1$), sericin solubility (X$_2$), tenacity (Y$_1$), elongation (Y$_2$), and Young's modulus (Y$_3$) were tested. The formulae estimating tensile properties with denier and sericin solubility are as follows: A) In case of denier. Y$_1$= -0.4X$_1$＋5.03 Y$_2$=1.2X$_1$＋2.7 Y$_3$= -25.2X$_1$＋140.95 B) In case of sericin solubility Y$_1$= -2.4X$_2$＋3.43 Y$_2$=20X$_2$＋3.7 Y$_3$= -120X$_2$＋78.37.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 1972

The effects of the stretching speed and the swelling degree of cocoon filaments on load-elongation curve were tested by tensilon with special attachments. The values of breaking strength, elongation at break and initial tensile strength obtained from load elongation curves are summarized as follows; 1. The breaking strength of the swollen cocoon filament appeared to increase at the high stretching speed, while elongation at break decreased. 2. Load-elongation curve became crinkled at the low speed of stretching. It suggests that both slip and break of the macrofibrils may occur in swelling of cocoon bave. 3. Breaking strength appeared to considerably decrease and elongation at break not to increase in swelling test at 9$0^{\circ}C$ for 60 min. 4. The initial tensile strength was influenced by the stretching speed and swelling degree of cocoon filaments.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.2
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• pp.1-31
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• 1962

The purpose of this treatise is to prove the presence of cystine in silk fiber through wide sampling throughout all the sericultural processes of Bombyx mori.; also to show that disulfide cross linkages exist in the silk fiber. The conclusions reached were as follows: 1. Crystalline cystine was obtained from silk fibroin using Folin's Method. 2. Analytical data showing the cystine content of silk fiber and its related materials were obtained using Sullvan's Method as follows: Material Percent Cystine A. Mulberry leaf protein 0.175 B. Silkworm egg 0.33 C. Silkworm Body, matured, fat extracted, without silk gland 0.41 D. Silk gland, matured 1.23 E. Silkworm feces none F. Silkworm pupa, fat extracted 0.30 G. Silkworm moth, fat extracted 0.60 H. Raw Silk 0.22 I. Fibroin 0.175 J. Sericin 0.30 3. The presence of cystine in the silkworm was substantiated the existence of 0.175 % methionine in mulberry leaves and 0.12% methionine in the silk gland. 4. Part of the sulfhydryl compounds in the silk gland is believed to transfer to serine and methionine, with the former being secreted into the liquid silk finally as silk fiber and the latter used for nutritive purposes in the growing of silk gland tissue. 5. The cystine content is variable by mulberry species, silkworm species, sex, breeding process, and other culturing environments. 6. Hybrid silkworms require more nutritive amino acids for effective growth than the original parents, and secrete less of them as silk fiber. 7. From such an observation, the amino acid composition of silk fiber is believed to be fairly flexible. Cystine if included in the amorphous part of the fiber, especially in sericin. 8. The result from enriching the silkworm diet with pure cystine or wool cystine did not result in any advantage, therefore it is believed that the natural cystine and methionine contents in the mulberry leafaregoodenoughforsilkwormnutrition. 9. The disulfide cross linkage in silk fiber was verified by using the Harris Method. Contraction took place following the treatment of the fiber with various salts and acids. Comparisons were made with wool fiber. 10. During these experiments, the fibrious structure of silk fiber and the net-globular liquid form were photographed microscopically. It is believed that the globules of liquid silk are net-formed by the inter attraction of the OH ion of the globular peptide and the H ion of water as shown by the hair cracking behavior of the film. The net-globular protein precipitation from the mulberry protein solution showed that mulberry is a proper diet for the formation of fibrous protein in the silk fiber. 11. The significance of the presence of cystine in silk fiber as emphasized in this paper should result in modification of the general conception that cystine is absent from this fiber. NOTICE: A part of this treatise was presented at the annual Korea Sericultural Society meeting held in 1961.