• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.75-80
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• 2015

The wet spinning of silk solution has attracted researchers' attention because of 1) unique properties of silk as a biomedical material and 2) easy control of the structure and properties of the regenerated silk fiber. Recently, studies have reported that different silkworm varieties produce silk with differences in the molecular weight (MW) and other mechanical properties of the regenerated silk fibroin (SF) film. In this study, we look at the effect of different Bombyx mori varieties on the wet spinning of SF. Although five regenerated SFs from different silkworm varieties have different MWs and solution viscosity, the wet spinnability and post drawing performance of regenerated SFs were not different. This result is due to low variability in the MW of the regenerated SF samples from the different silkworm varieties. In addition, unlike regenerated SF films, the mechanical properties of wet spun regenerated SF filament were not affected by silkworm variety. This result suggests that the mechanical properties of wet spun SF filament are less affected by MW than those of SF film are.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.198-202
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• 2002

Degummed silk from Bombyx mori was dissolved in 9.3M lithium bromide solution. The regenerated silk fibroin films were completely ${\alpha}$-randomcoil type as shown by x-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. The structural changes in silk fibroin induced by immersion into methanol and dilute hydrochloric acid and its photo-yellowing effect was studied. The changes of crystallinity were measured by infrared spectrometer. Yellowness index caused by ultraviolet irradiation were observed as a function of the structural change on silk fibroin. On treatment with methanol, ${\alpha}$-randomcoil silk film is converted to the ${\beta}$-form structure. After the treatment of hydrochloric acid on ${\beta}$-form structure in silk induced by immersion into methanol, ${\beta}$-form in silk fibroin is partially decreased. Crystallization owing to ${\beta}$-form transition reduced the initial yellowness index by ultraviolet irradiation. A little ${\beta}$-form structure in silk fibroin increased the initial yellowness in comparison with more ${\beta}$-form structure.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2014

This study described about preparation of the cross-linked silk fibroin (SF) film by ${\gamma}$-irradiation of the casted SF film, which is fabricated from aqueous solution regenerated via fibers of cocoons and their application as supports for human cell culture. The properties of cross-linked SF film were evaluated by FT-IR spectroscopy, contact angle, solubility to water, thermal analysis, surface area analyzer, and morphology via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The cross-linked SF films were not dissolved in water and exhibited the rough surface morphology, large surface area, and good thermal properties. The human fibroblast cell (CCD-986sk) and embryo kidney-ft cell were well growed on the surface of cross-linked SF film supports prepared by ${\gamma}$-irradiation. The cross-linked SF film prepared by ${\gamma}$-irradiation can be used as biomaterials for human cell culture.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.114-119
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• 2000

Effects of ethanlo treatment on the structural and thermal characteristics of regenerated Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin (RSF) were investigated. Infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry showed that the conformational transition of RSF might be affected by concentration of ethanol and its treatment time. The structure of RSF was rapidly changed from random coil to $\beta$-sheet conformation when RSF was treated with les than 75% ethanol concentration. However, RSF treated with ethanol(100%) did not show conformational change. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that exotherm at 232$\^{C}$ disappeared and the intensity of endotherm at 228$\^{C}$ decreased with treatment of 75% ethanol. Dynamic thermal analysis showed that loss modulus (E") and tan $\delta$$\_$E/ of RSF treated with aqueous ethanol was broaden and shifted to higher temperature in comparison with those of untreated RSF.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.785-790
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• 2009

In this paper, the relaxation behavior of the regenerated silk fibroin (SF) films was investigated using dielectric thermal analysis (DETA), and compared with the dynamic mechanical behavior obtained from dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), in order to gain a better understanding of the characteristics of dielectric behavior of SF film and identify the differences between the two analyses. Compared to DMTA, DETA exhibited a higher sensitivity on the molecular relaxation behaviors at low temperature ranges that showed a high $\gamma$-relaxation peak intensity without noise. However, it was not effective to examine the relaxation behaviors at high temperatures such as $\alpha-$ and ${\alpha}_c$-relaxations that showed a shoulder peak shape. On the contrary, DMTA provided more information regarding the relaxation behaviors at high temperatures, by exhibiting the changes in width, intensity and temperature shift of the $\alpha$-relaxation peak according to various crystallinities. Conclusively, DETA and DMTA can be utilized in a complementary manner to study the relaxation behavior of SF over a wide temperature range, due to the different sensitivity of each technique at different temperatures.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.181-185
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• 2009

In this paper, the regenerated silk fibroin (SF)/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) blend filaments were prepared by wet spinning and the effect of HPMC concentration on the post drawing and morphology of blend filaments was elucidated. The result of maximum draw ratio indicated that the wet spinnability of wet spun SF / HPMC was improved with increasing HPMC concentration until 8% and remained constant after that concentration. The SEM observation revealed that the enhanced wet spinnability of blend filaments was strongly related to the morphological change by increasing HPMC concentration. Regardless of HPMC concentration, as SF content was reduced, the wet spinnability of blend film decreased resulting in reduced maximum draw ratio. It was also found by SEM observation that the cross section of blend filament deviated from circularity with an increase of HPMC content.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.28-32
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• 2020

Recently, many studies have been undertaken on the wet spinning and electrospinning of silk because wet-spun fibers and electrospun webs of silk can be applied in the biomedical and cosmetic fields owing to the good biocompatibility of silk. The rheological properties of silk solution are important because they strongly affect the spinning performance of the silk solution and the structures of resultant fibrous materials. Therefore, as a preliminary study on the effect of solvent composition on the rheological properties of silk fibroin (SF) solution and structure of the resultant film, in the reported work, methanol was added to the SF formic acid solution. A small amount of methanol (i.e. 2%) added to the SF formic acid solution significantly altered the rheological properties of the solution: its shear viscosity increased by 10 folds at low shear and decreased on increasing the shear rate, demonstrating shear thinning behavior of the SF solution. Dynamic tests for the SF solution indicated that the addition of 2% methanol altered the viscous state of the SF formic acid solution to elastic. However, the molecular conformation (i.e. β-sheet conformation) of the regenerated SF film cast from formic acid remained unchanged on the addition of 2% methanol.