Preparation, Dyeing and Finishing of Tussah or Wild Silk

Abstract

A short description of the production of tussah (wild silk) is given. The degumming, batch dyeing, semi‐continuous dyeing and finishing of tussah yams and fibres are described.

Dyeing of Tussah Silk with Reactive Dyes: Dye Selection, Dyeing Conditions, Dye Fixation Characteristics, and Comparison with Mulberry Silk

“…Previous reviews pointed out that when the same apparent color depth was expected, tussah silk required a greater quantity of acid dyes than mulberry silk, probably due to its flat cross-section [ 2 , 34 ]. Evidently, the build-up ability of reactive dyes is also important for the deep dyeing of tussah silk.…”

“…However, there are significant differences between tussah and mulberry silks in terms of their appearance, color, amino acid composition, morphological structure, crystalline structure, and pore structure [ 1 ], which lead to some differences between the dyeing properties of the two silk fibers. Existing dyeing methods for tussah silk face two big problems: poor color fastness to washing and great difficulty in reaching satisfactory color depth [ 2 , 3 ]. The issue of poor fastness is primarily related to the dyes used.…”

“…An early literature review reported that obtaining dark colors (e.g., dark brown, navy, and black) on dyed tussah silk is difficult, likely owing to its flat cross-section. Additionally, tussah silk requires a higher quantity of dyes to achieve a similar color depth as mulberry silk [ 2 ]. Reactive dyes can react covalently with protein fibers.…”

“…These questions are very interesting and worth studying. In this regard, tussah silk is more resistant to alkali compounds than mulberry silk, which is advantageous in reactive dyeing under alkaline conditions [ 2 ].…”

Protein-Based Fibers

“…Addition of surface active agents like soap or nonionic detergents aids the removal of sericin and improves the wetting properties of degummed filaments. Removal of sericin in degumming is a combination of reactions such as dispersion, solubilization, and hydrolysis of different sericin polypeptides [23]. Tasar silks are more difficult to degum than mulberry silks because of the presence of more mineral matters, chemically resistant nature, and, perhaps, also due to the complex nature of the proteins [24,25].…”