degumming is done for silk give reason.
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NATURAL FIBRES ARE eco-friendly in nature, and are essential alternatives in the ever-expanding horizon of textile fibres. They are non-toxic and bio-degradable. They do not disturb the ecological balance of the environment. Silk is one of the most ancient natural fibres, extruded by silk worms. Proteinous in nature and highly hygienic, it is commonly known as the ‘Queen of Textiles’, due to its lustre, elegance and versatility. Silk is only natural filament fibre. Silk derived from the moth Bombyx mori, feeding on mulberry leaves, is known as mulberry silk. Silk is composed of fibroin and sericin. The filament is a double strand of fibroin, which is held together by a gummy substance called sericin or silk gum. The sericin in silk serves as a protective layer and prevents the delicate yarns from being broken during wearing, but before giving any finishing or dyeing treatment, it must be removed, as it hinders the successful operations of dyeing, printing and finishing. To make the silk fabric soft and lustrous as well as highly absorbent for dyes and chemicals, and to reveal the lustre of fibroin and improve the appearance of the fibre, it is necessary to remove the gum from the raw fabric. The removal of silk gum is termed degumming. For this process, enzymes may be used in place of soaps, resulting in reduced treatment time and less fibre damage. Various enzymes may be used, either singly or in combinations. Enzymatic degumming has proved to be a better process because of its mild action on fibres and produces uniformly degummed silk with soft handle.
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Silk in Northeastern and Eastern India: The Indigenous Tradition
July 1988 · Modern Asian Studies
Lotika Varadarajan
India has had a remarkable tradition in cotton textiles, but that in silk is not of an equivalent order. The purpose of this article is to define the different categories of silk worms and determine their regional diffusion in India within some chronological framework. The question also needs to be raised whether silk was brought to India from China or whether it was indigenous to this country. ... [Show full abstract]Read more
Article
Fibroin Silk Proteins from the Nonmulberry Silkworm Philosamia ricini Are Biochemically and Immunoch...
April 2004 · DNA and Cell Biology
Raies A. Qadri
Raies A. QadriAnita KamraSeyed E Hasnain
Silk proteins were isolated from the cocoons of the nonmulberry silkworm, Philosamia ricini. Three polypeptides of 97, 66, and 45 kDa were identified. The 66-kDa molecule represented sericin, whereas the 97-kDa and the 45-kDa polypeptides linked together through a disulfide bond constituted the fibroin protein. Antibodies raised against the 97-kDa P. ricini fibroin heavy chain reacted ... [Show full abstract]Read more
Article
The fractal self-assembly of the silk protein sericin
April 2010 · Soft Matter
Subhas C Kundu
Subhas C Kundu
Tejas Khire
Tejas Khire
Joydip Kundu
Joydip Kundu
Vamsi K Yadavalli
Vamsi K Yadavalli
Silk consists primarily of two proteins - a fibrous core protein, fibroin, and a glue protein, sericin, which envelops the fibroin fibers with sticky layers thus helping in the formation of cocoon, achieved by cementing the silk fibers together. Sericin, a water soluble protein, has traditionally been discarded in silk processing, despite great potential for use as a biomaterial. Here we show ... [Show full abstract]Read more
Article
Natural protective glue protein, sericin bioengineered by silkworms: Potential for biomedical and bi...
October 2008 · Progress in
Subhas C Kundu
Biraja Dash
Silk proteins consist of a fibrous core protein, fibroin, and glue proteins called sericins, which envelop the fibroin fiber with successive sticky layers that help in the formation of a cocoon by cementing together the silk fibers.