CHAPTER 5 - SILK EXAMS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

CHAPTER 5 - SILK Silk - Answer- - Is a natural protein fiber - China around 2640 B.C. - Production closely guarded secret for centuries - Currently no successful silk production in US - China - India - Japan Sericulture - Answer- - Production of silk - Silk moths lay eggs - Eggs hatch and the larvae are fed mulberry leaves - After about 35 days, the silkworms spin their cocoons - Silkworm forces liquid silk through two spinnerets and the fiber hardens with air contact - One silkworm can yield up to 1 mile of single filament - Silkworm smothered before can come out of cocoon to prevent fiber breakage Silk noils - Answer- less expensive, less durable, lower quality Wild silk - Answer- - Production is not controlled - Moths eat different types of leaves: oak, cherry - This produces a much wider variety of color and texture Tussah silk - Answer- - The most common type of wild silk - Coarser, darker, and cannot be bleached - Sometimes incorrectly referred to as "raw silk" Duppioni silk - Answer- - Results when two silkworms spin their cocoons together - Yarn is irregular in diameter -- thick and thin - Used often in shantung Silk Characteristics - Answer- - Silk fibers are fine - Wild silks are coarser - Natural luster - One of strongest natural fibers - Grades of silk fabric - Evenness, fiber size, defects - Physical structure: - Only natural filament fiber - Very fine filament, irregular diameter, and triangular cross-section Properties - Answer- - Aesthetic - Soft luster, excellent drape, excellent dyeability, standard for many synthetic fibers - Durability - Strong fiber but weaker when wet - Comfort - Absorbent, good heat retention, dry hand, poor conductor of electricity - Appearance retention - Dimensionally stable