A SEMINAR ON

SILK FIBRE
BY
UTTAM SINGH B.Tech (FINAL YEAR) MAN MADE FIBRE TECHNOLOGY ROLL No.-0804462028 UTTAR PRADESH TEXTILE TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE, KANPUR (UTTAR PRADESH)

PRODUCTION OF SILK The production of cultivated silk is known as sericulture.

Cultivation of mulberry silk The silk is produced in two glands in the silkworms head and forced out in liquid form through openings called spinnerets. The silk solidifies when it comes in contact with the air. The silkworm spins approximately 1 mile of filament and completely encloses itself in a cocoon in about 2 or three days. The silkworm then changes into a moth. The silkworm is usually killed with heat before it reaches this stage because the moth secretes a fluid to dissolve the silk to emerge from cocoon. This damages the cocoon and the silk. The silk is obtained from the undamaged cocoons by brushing the cocoon to find the outside ends of the filament.

Process of obtaining fibre from cocoon

The silk filaments are then wound on a reel. One cocoon contains approximately 1,000 yards of silk filament. The silk at this stage is known as raw silk. A yarn can now be formed by combining several filaments of silk.