• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.18 no.6 s.91
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• pp.25-30
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• 2006

Degumming is an essential process to improve the luster and smoothness of the silk filament. Silk varieties were degummed using different methods. A number of methods, from pad-steam to specific alkaline are being used for this propose. In this paper an attempt to compare the efficiencies of different degumming processes has been made. from the results, it may be observed that when silk fabrics were pad-steam, the degree of degumming, as assessed by weight loss. When the pad-steam degumming was carried out at different pHs, adjusted using alkalies, it was observed that at higher pH the weight loss is high. Pad-steam degumming as well as star degumming was found to be superior with minimum damage to the substrate. Among the alkalis used, the sodium carbonate gives the best results, since the weight loss is almost maximum with lower strength loss by over degumming. It is also efficient from the point of view of conservation of heat energy and time as against the comparable star degumming.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2013

The partial degumming of silk has recently attracted researchers' attention because of its ability to produce silk textiles with new tactile properties, intermediate between the softness of fully degummed silk and the hardness of raw silk. However, it is difficult to obtain partially degummed silk in a homogenously degummed state due to the heterogeneous character of sericin removal. It is also difficult to examine the homogeneity of degumming. In the present study, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with attenuated total reflection (ATR) geometry was used to evaluate the effect of processing conditions on the degumming of silk yarns. The crystallinity index, calculated from FTIR spectra, showed an increase with the degumming ratio. Therefore, the homogeneity of degumming could be evaluated by the variation of crystallinity index for 30 different spots in silk yarns. The homogeneity of degumming was influenced by the total degumming time, the content of surfactant, and the liquor rate. No effect was observed upon changing the number of degumming cycles at the same total degumming time.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.18 no.3 s.88
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• pp.16-22
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• 2006

Process contract has received considerable attention in silk degumming processes because of its critical role in quality assurance. In degumming, process exhibits shrinkage of high twisted yarn and lot-varying behavior, thus increasing the difficulties of reduction by conventional means. This necessitates the application of a package that adapts to changing degumming process, and a new approach involving package degumming is proposed. The gains of this process are prevent of shrinkage by package winding, which is simplified by reduced soft-winding or re-twisting process. The approach is expected to achieve high quality results in conventional process due to its feature of demage by tension and rubbing. Therefore package degumming has many merits such as reduce of pilling and shrinkage, production expenses saving by process contract are expected of the simplified degumming process.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.349-355
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• 2010

To investigate the half-degumming of raw silk, the degumming was carried out with soap or sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate and some mixed agents at $80^{\circ}C$ for 15 and 30 minutes. With soap of 20~25%o.w.f. degumming losses were about 7~12%. Degumming losses with sodium carbonate of 2~5%o.w.f. were about 6~15%. And about 6~12% wright losses were observed in the degumming with sodium bicarbonate of 20~30%o.w.f. In the degumming with the mixed degumming agents of soap and sodium carbonate, degumming losses were 9~15% with 5%o.w.f. soap and 2~5%o.w.f. sodium carbonate. Sodium carbonate was more effective on the removal of sericin from raw silk than soap. During drying generally half degummed silk yarns stuck together to result in harsh and hard lumps by the adhesion and solidification of the residue sericin of partially degummed silk. Sodium hydrosulfite in degumming agent effectively protected the adhesion of half degummed silk yarns.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.37-40
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• 2001

This study was carried out to investigate the optimum condition for silk sericin collection from degumming solution using some aluminium salts with various treatment conditions and examine the thermal properties of silk sericin collected from degumming solution. Silk sericin was precipitated by treatment of aluminium metal compound from degumming solution. The best optimum collecting conditions of silk sericin from degumming solution are the concentration of 2 $m\ell$/l of polyaluminium chloride (PAC), pH range of 5~7 and room temperature. The reduction of water pollution was evaluated by decreasing the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nitrate ion (NO$_3$￣). Thermal stability of silk sericin collected from degumming solution was a little lower than that of hot water.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 2014

Silk has always been one of the most favored textile materials. Fully degummed silk fiber (i.e., silk fibers without sericin) shows better luster than raw silk fiber (with sericin); it is also softer. On the other hand, raw silk fiber feels cooler because of the presence of sericin, making it useful as a textile for the summer season. Recently, partially degummed silk has attracted researchers' attention because it provides better luster, feel, and dyeing properties. However, the partial degumming of silk is very difficult because it results in inhomogeneously degummed fiber. In the present study, silk yarns were degummed with surfactant aqueous solutions and the effects of each surfactant on the degumming ratio, crystallinity, and homogeneity of the degummed silk yarn were examined. The degumming ratio and crystallinity index of silk yarn varied depending on the type of surfactant. On the whole, anionic surfactants resulted in higher degumming ratios and better homogeneity than nonionic surfactants.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.56-69
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• 2022

Silk is a unique natural biopolymer with outstanding biocompatibility, high mechanical strength, and superior optical transparency. Due to its excellent properties, silk has been widely reported as an ideal biomaterial for several biomedical applications. Recently, fluorescent silk protein, a variant of native silk, has been reported as a biophotonic material with the potential for bioimaging and biosensing. Despite the realization of fluorescent silk, the traditional degumming process of fluorescence silk is crude and often results in fluorescence loss. The loss of fluorescent properties is attributed to the sensitivity of silk fibroin to temperature and solvent concentration during degumming. However, there is no comprehensive information on the influence of these processing parameters on fluorescence evolution and decay during fluorescent silk processing. Therefore, we conducted a spectroscopic study on fluorescence decay as a function of temperature, concentration, and duration for fluorescent silk cocoon degumming. Sodium carbonate solution was tested for degumming the fluorescent silk cocoons with different concentrations and temperatures; also, sodium carbonate solution is combined with Alcalase enzyme and triton x-100 to find optimal degumming conditions. Additionally, we conducted a molecular dynamics study to investigate the fundamental effect of temperature on the stability of the fluorescent protein. We observed degumming temperature as the prime source of fluorescent intensity reduction. From the MD study, fluorescence degradation originated from the thermal agitation of fluorescent protein Cα atoms and fluctuations of amino acid residues located in the chromophore region. Overall, degumming fluorescent silk with sodium carbonate and Alcalase enzyme solution at 25 ℃ preserved fluorescence.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2012

A newly developed silkworm variety, GoldenSilk makes bright yellow cocoon. In this article, the basic characteristics of GoldenSilk cocoon were examined through color analysis, degumming characteristics and UV spectrophotometer. The colorant of GoldenSilk cocoon was not distributed evenly throughout the cocoon layer but existed in the outer layer of the cocoon. The colorant has not good resistance against sunlight. The degumming loss percentage of GoldenSilk cocoon was 29.2%, which is relatively higher than that of the authorized one. UV spectrophotometer showed specific absorption band around 400 to 500 nm, which is the specific yellow colorant of the GoldenSilk cocoon extracted to the degumming solution during the degumming process.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.517-523
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• 2003

We studied the physical properties of silk fabrics after degumming, the dyeability and the color fastness of silk fabrics after degumming and sericin fixing. As the sericin was removed from silk fabrics, the rate of weight loss increased and both the abrasion resistance and the drape coefficient decreased. This means that the amount of the sericin remained in silk fabrics significantly affects the physical properties of silk fabrics. On the surface and the cross-section of silk fabrics, the silk fibers enclosed by the sericin seemed to be in a lump shape. Each fibroin strand, however, got scattered, as the process of degumming went through. The dyeability of silk fabrics degummed decreased at between 20$^{\circ}C$∼80$^{\circ}C$ the dyeing temperature, on the other hand, it significantly increased over 80$^{\circ}C$. The dyeability of the sericin-fixed silk fabrics was lower than that of the non-serin-fixed silk fabrics, to a little extent. The colorfastness of crocking in the dyed-silk fabrics was a little low and that of the sweat was much lower in a basic sweat. Especially, the colorfastness of the partially degummed silk fabrics was low, because the sericin was not stable in the condition of sweat. Therefore, the process of sericin fixing is essentially required, for the partially degummed silk fabrics and the process of degumming itself.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.53-57
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• 1994

The weight loss for the mixture (spun silk/PET) was tested to investigate the effects of weight loss accelerator on the degumming and weight loss. The degumming loss of spun silk was decreased while the wigth loss of polyester(PET) was increased depending on the increased of weight loss accelerator concentration. The proper degumming of spun silk was obtained and simultaneously the weight loss of PET was high for the spun silk/PET "A" and "B" type. The proper degumming of spun silk was obtained but the weight of PET was loss for the spun silk/PET "D" and "E" type. The degumming curve in spun silk part was showed the typical degumming curve but the weight loss of PET was increased depending on the increased of treatment time in the weight loss for the fabric composed of spun silk/PET.or the fabric composed of spun silk/PET.