ایران زیبا

Silk is made up of natural protein fibers that mainly include fibroin. This protein is secreted by certain types of insect larvae to make cocoons. Although the secretions of these insects are also silk-like, most of the silk fabric in the world is obtained from the larvae of our own silkworms. This worm, which lives only on mulberry trees, is called Bombyx mori. To prepare silk fibers, they use the protective cocoon that this worm makes around itself. Bombyx Mori is really beautiful:

In certain lighting conditions, silk creates a brilliant light effect due to its triangular and prism-like structure. These prisms reflect the light at different angles, which creates a beautiful iridescent color of the silk. This is one of the reasons that made this fabric so luxurious and expensive.

History of silk fabric

Since the oldest sample of silk found dates back to 3630 BC, the origin of this fabric can be considered from the Neolithic era of China. Originally, humans made silk from wild insects, and it was not like today that they raised silkworms. These worms mostly lived in China, India and Europe in the wild, and for that reason they were very rare and could not fully meet the needs of textiles.

Silkworm breeding originates from China. One of the archeological evidences indicates that silk textiles existed in China in 6500 BC. Therefore, it can be said with confidence that the ancient Chinese must have used silk in 3600 BC.

Chinese legends attribute the art of making silk to Emperor Lizu; However, there are no strong historical records to show that the origin of this cloth was really from China. In ancient Chinese culture, only nobles wore silk; But with the development of Chinese civilization and their wealth, ordinary people also got access to this cloth.

Silk production in China led to the development of major pre-industrial trade routes. The Silk Road stretched from China to Western Europe, and Chinese merchants used this route to exchange silk for other goods in distant countries.

It took generations for the secrets of Nughandari (sericulture), which was the most valuable and protected knowledge among the Chinese aristocracy, to spread to other countries. Finally, in the first few centuries AD, the information of this industry about how to prepare refined silk reached the countries of Korea and India. India, Thailand and other Asian countries used to breed silkworms; But the Chinese method was considered a better method for this work.

Production of silk fabric in the West and Europe

Based on a series of limited historical records, there may have been silk production in the West in the distant past. Westerners have valued silk very much since Roman times, but the popularity of this rare fabric increased during the Middle Ages.

In the 11th century AD, silk production began throughout Europe. In the Middle Ages, many Italian city-states such as Lucca, Venice, and Florence relied heavily on silk production economically. After that, Noghan Dari gradually made its way to France and Spain.

In the 17th century, King James I introduced silk production to the New World, i.e. the post-medieval era, and the American states, including Connecticut and Massachusetts, quickly became the hub of silk production. World War II caused America to cut off its connection with Asian-made silks, and as a result, American companies used synthetic alternatives, including nylon, instead of silk.

The stages of silk production and making fabric from it

In general, the silk production process can be summarized in 6 stages:

first stage

The female silk moth lays about 300 to 500 eggs per month. Eggs turn into larvae and feed on mulberry leaves. Larvae molt 4 times during their development process.

second stage

The silkworm, which is not a worm as opposed to its name, but is actually a larva, when it climbs the branch, it pulls out some of the fibroin protein and makes a web to keep itself on the branch.

third level

The larva swings itself while excreting silk forming saliva. This silk is hardened and becomes a solid cocoon. Within 2 to 3 days, the larva wraps around itself a silk thread of approximately 1,600 meters.

The fourth stage

When silkworm farmers harvest the cocoons, they are exposed to high heat to prevent the worms from maturing. After that, in the degumming process, the cocoons are boiled for a short time to remove a small amount of sericin in the cocoons, which is a glue-like substance that the silkworm excretes to form the cocoons. At this stage, the poor larva dies.

The fifth stage

Workers gently brush the cocoons by hand or with an automatic machine until the end of the string is exposed. Then they open it. Silkworms make a cocoon from a long string of fibers. Therefore, each fully opened cocoon is a strand of silk:

Then the string is wound on the spool. As the silk thread is wound on the spool, it is automatically joined to another thread to form a continuous thread. The remaining sericin in the strand helps the strands stick together. Then this long string is spun and attached to a roller to make it more uniform. At this stage, the thread is ready for making fabric.

The sixth stage

Finally, using the satin weave method, silk threads are turned into fabric.

Side processes in the preparation of silk fabric

In order for the silk fabric to have the characteristics desired by the manufacturer, certain processes must be performed on it. For example, before weaving the yarn into fabric, most manufacturers first dye, bleach, or maybe toughen it with various materials to achieve the specific properties they expect from it.

What are the uses of silk fabric?

Silk can be used in thousands of ways. However, to make the matter easier, the applications of this fabric can be divided into two consumer and industrial categories:

Silk for consumer applications

The most common use of silk is the production of clothing such as scarves, shirts, blouses and dresses . Silk has been prized for its exceptional softness and durability for thousands of years, and to this day, consumers prefer real silk over synthetic alternatives. Because of its lightness and softness, silk is one of the best fabrics for women's underwear, men's underwear, pillowcases, pajamas, curtains or wall hangings. Another one of the most common uses of silk is in the preparation of sports clothing. For this purpose, silk is combined with cotton to obtain a fabric with high strength and stain resistance.

Silk for industrial applications

Although synthetic alternatives to silk are more common for industrial applications, many manufacturers, including parachute manufacturers and manufacturers of medical goods, especially surgical sutures, still use silk for these products. The thinness of silk fibers and its antibacterial properties have made this material ideal for medical applications.

Which country is the largest supplier of silk in the world?

According to the World Atlas report, China ranks first as the largest producer of silk in the world. With the production of nearly 150,000 tons of silk per year, which is 78% of the world's total silk, this country is far from its biggest competitor, India, which produces about 35,000 tons of silk per year.

The third place is reserved for Uzbekistan, followed by Thailand in the fourth place. China is not only the largest producer of silk textiles, it also has the largest silk market in the world. The United States and the European Union are the largest consumers of silk produced in India and China.

The price of silk fabric

Silk fabric is very expensive and it makes sense; Because it is very difficult to produce, breeding of worms is time-consuming and expensive, and to all this you have to add the cost of transportation and transfer of silk from the origin to the final consumer.

Know the types of silk and types of silk fabric

The raw material of silk itself has different types and silk fabric is prepared with different textures; Therefore, we also have a variety of silk fabrics. In the following, we introduce both of them in two sections:

types of silk; From mulberry cream to Mediterranean oysters

Although the silk obtained from the silkworm of the white mulberry tree is the most widely used type of silk and the fabric made from it is the most common, we have several other types of silk fabric, which we have listed below:

mulberry silk; The most common silk in the world

Mulberry silk is the simplest and cheapest type of silk. Almost all silk fabrics in the world are made from mulberry silk. This silk is obtained from the silkworm that feeds on the white mulberry tree and we all know it.

Eri Silk; peace silk

This silk is called peace silk; The reason is that there is no need to kill silkworms to prepare it. Eri silkworm lives on castor trees, and for this reason, this silk is sometimes known as castor silk. The fabric from which it is made is very heavy and more durable than mulberry silk. It can almost be said that today they do not prepare it anywhere in the world.

Tasar silk; From silkworm native to India

After Mulberry, Tasar silk is the most common type of raw silk. This silk is obtained wildly from Indian silkworms. Since it is naturally copper in color, it is very difficult to dye it. Japan is also the habitat of Tasar silkworm; But the silk of their worms is green. This silk is mostly used in furniture making.

spider silk; Silk produced by spiders

This silk is obtained from a kind of spider and has great elasticity. Since spiders cannot be cultivated like worms, the silk produced from them is very expensive and therefore not widely used in the textile industry. Most manufacturers of bulletproof vests, microscopes, telescopes and some other industrial products may use this silk.

Moga silk; Specific to the people of Assam in India

Moga silk is produced only in the Indian state of Assam. Moga silkworm is semi-domesticated. Moga silk is not well known in other parts of the world, but the inhabitants of Assam have been producing Moga silk clothes for the nobility of this region for generations.

sea silk; Silk produced from oysters

They are a special species of oysters native to the Mediterranean Sea, which produce silk-like fibers in a very small amount. The inhabitants of Taranto, Italy, cultivate these oysters, and because of this, the city produces a very small amount of sea silk, which makes the fabric produced from it rare. It is also called shell silk.

Kwan Silk; Silk to strengthen other silk fibers

A type of silkworm called Pacypasa atus, native to certain regions of Greece, Turkey and Italy, produces coan silk. This silkworm feeds on pine, cypress and oak trees. In ancient Rome, this silk had many uses; But today its production is limited and it is mainly used to strengthen other types of silk fibers.

types of silk fabric; From satin to crepe

There are different types of silk fabrics according to the source of silk (worms or other insects) and the fabric weaving method, which are:

charming Fabric similar to satin

This silk fabric is made with satin texture, and for this reason, it is usually confused with satin. One side is glossy and the other is matte. In general, it is more shiny than satin and is used in making scarves, shirts and underwear.

chiffon; Light and flexible

Silk chiffon is made from twisted silk fibers. It's light and slightly stretchy, has a rough surface and is great for bulking and layering clothes. It is mostly used for making wedding dresses and gowns, but it is also suitable for scarves and shirts.

silk crepe; Has a rough appearance

Silk is made up of natural protein fibers that mainly include fibroin. This protein is secreted by certain types of insect larvae to make cocoons. Although the secretions of these insects are also silk-like, most of the silk fabric in the world is obtained from the larvae of our own silkworms. This worm, which lives only on mulberry trees, is called Bombyx mori. To prepare silk fibers, they use the protective cocoon that this worm makes around itself. Bombyx Mori is really beautiful:

In certain lighting conditions, silk creates a brilliant light effect due to its triangular and prism-like structure. These prisms reflect the light at different angles, which creates a beautiful iridescent color of the silk. This is one of the reasons that made this fabric so luxurious and expensive.

History of silk fabric

Since the oldest sample of silk found dates back to 3630 BC, the origin of this fabric can be considered from the Neolithic era of China. Originally, humans made silk from wild insects, and it was not like today that they raised silkworms. These worms mostly lived in China, India and Europe in the wild, and for that reason they were very rare and could not fully meet the needs of textiles.

Silkworm breeding originates from China. One of the archeological evidences indicates that silk textiles existed in China in 6500 BC. Therefore, it can be said with confidence that the ancient Chinese must have used silk in 3600 BC.

Chinese legends attribute the art of making silk to Emperor Lizu; However, there are no strong historical records to show that the origin of this cloth was really from China. In ancient Chinese culture, only nobles wore silk; But with the development of Chinese civilization and their wealth, ordinary people also got access to this cloth.

Silk production in China led to the development of major pre-industrial trade routes. The Silk Road stretched from China to Western Europe, and Chinese merchants used this route to exchange silk for other goods in distant countries.

It took generations for the secrets of Nughandari (sericulture), which was the most valuable and protected knowledge among the Chinese aristocracy, to spread to other countries. Finally, in the first few centuries AD, the information of this industry about how to prepare refined silk reached the countries of Korea and India. India, Thailand and other Asian countries used to breed silkworms; But the Chinese method was considered a better method for this work.

Production of silk fabric in the West and Europe

Based on a series of limited historical records, there may have been silk production in the West in the distant past. Westerners have valued silk very much since Roman times, but the popularity of this rare fabric increased during the Middle Ages.

In the 11th century AD, silk production began throughout Europe. In the Middle Ages, many Italian city-states such as Lucca, Venice, and Florence relied heavily on silk production economically. After that, Noghan Dari gradually made its way to France and Spain.

In the 17th century, King James I introduced silk production to the New World, i.e. the post-medieval era, and the American states, including Connecticut and Massachusetts, quickly became the hub of silk production. World War II caused America to cut off its connection with Asian-made silks, and as a result, American companies used synthetic alternatives, including nylon, instead of silk.

The stages of silk production and making fabric from it

In general, the silk production process can be summarized in 6 stages:

first stage

The female silk moth lays about 300 to 500 eggs per month. Eggs turn into larvae and feed on mulberry leaves. Larvae molt 4 times during their development process.

second stage

The silkworm, which is not a worm as opposed to its name, but is actually a larva, when it climbs the branch, it pulls out some of the fibroin protein and makes a web to keep itself on the branch.

third level

The larva swings itself while excreting silk forming saliva. This silk is hardened and becomes a solid cocoon. Within 2 to 3 days, the larva wraps around itself a silk thread of approximately 1,600 meters.

The fourth stage

When silkworm farmers harvest the cocoons, they are exposed to high heat to prevent the worms from maturing. After that, in the degumming process, the cocoons are boiled for a short time to remove a small amount of sericin in the cocoons, which is a glue-like substance that the silkworm excretes to form the cocoons. At this stage, the poor larva dies.

The fifth stage

Workers gently brush the cocoons by hand or with an automatic machine until the end of the string is exposed. Then they open it. Silkworms make a cocoon from a long string of fibers. Therefore, each fully opened cocoon is a strand of silk:

Then the string is wound on the spool. As the silk thread is wound on the spool, it is automatically joined to another thread to form a continuous thread. The remaining sericin in the strand helps the strands stick together. Then this long string is spun and attached to a roller to make it more uniform. At this stage, the thread is ready for making fabric.

The sixth stage

Finally, using the satin weave method, silk threads are turned into fabric.

Side processes in the preparation of silk fabric

In order for the silk fabric to have the characteristics desired by the manufacturer, certain processes must be performed on it. For example, before weaving the yarn into fabric, most manufacturers first dye, bleach, or maybe toughen it with various materials to achieve the specific properties they expect from it.

What are the uses of silk fabric?

Silk can be used in thousands of ways. However, to make the matter easier, the applications of this fabric can be divided into two consumer and industrial categories:

Silk for consumer applications

The most common use of silk is the production of clothing such as scarves, shirts, blouses and dresses . Silk has been prized for its exceptional softness and durability for thousands of years, and to this day, consumers prefer real silk over synthetic alternatives. Because of its lightness and softness, silk is one of the best fabrics for women's underwear, men's underwear, pillowcases, pajamas, curtains or wall hangings. Another one of the most common uses of silk is in the preparation of sports clothing. For this purpose, silk is combined with cotton to obtain a fabric with high strength and stain resistance.

Silk for industrial applications

Although synthetic alternatives to silk are more common for industrial applications, many manufacturers, including parachute manufacturers and manufacturers of medical goods, especially surgical sutures, still use silk for these products. The thinness of silk fibers and its antibacterial properties have made this material ideal for medical applications.

Which country is the largest supplier of silk in the world?

According to the World Atlas report, China ranks first as the largest producer of silk in the world. With the production of nearly 150,000 tons of silk per year, which is 78% of the world's total silk, this country is far from its biggest competitor, India, which produces about 35,000 tons of silk per year.

The third place is reserved for Uzbekistan, followed by Thailand in the fourth place. China is not only the largest producer of silk textiles, it also has the largest silk market in the world. The United States and the European Union are the largest consumers of silk produced in India and China.

The price of silk fabric

Silk fabric is very expensive and it makes sense; Because it is very difficult to produce, breeding of worms is time-consuming and expensive, and to all this you have to add the cost of transportation and transfer of silk from the origin to the final consumer.

Know the types of silk and types of silk fabric

The raw material of silk itself has different types and silk fabric is prepared with different textures; Therefore, we also have a variety of silk fabrics. In the following, we introduce both of them in two sections:

types of silk; From mulberry cream to Mediterranean oysters

Although the silk obtained from the silkworm of the white mulberry tree is the most widely used type of silk and the fabric made from it is the most common, we have several other types of silk fabric, which we have listed below:

mulberry silk; The most common silk in the world

Mulberry silk is the simplest and cheapest type of silk. Almost all silk fabrics in the world are made from mulberry silk. This silk is obtained from the silkworm that feeds on the white mulberry tree and we all know it.

Eri Silk; peace silk

This silk is called peace silk; The reason is that there is no need to kill silkworms to prepare it. Eri silkworm lives on castor trees, and for this reason, this silk is sometimes known as castor silk. The fabric from which it is made is very heavy and more durable than mulberry silk. It can almost be said that today they do not prepare it anywhere in the world.

Tasar silk; From silkworm native to India

After Mulberry, Tasar silk is the most common type of raw silk. This silk is obtained wildly from Indian silkworms. Since it is naturally copper in color, it is very difficult to dye it. Japan is also the habitat of Tasar silkworm; But the silk of their worms is green. This silk is mostly used in furniture making.

spider silk; Silk produced by spiders

This silk is obtained from a kind of spider and has great elasticity. Since spiders cannot be cultivated like worms, the silk produced from them is very expensive and therefore not widely used in the textile industry. Most manufacturers of bulletproof vests, microscopes, telescopes and some other industrial products may use this silk.

Moga silk; Specific to the people of Assam in India

Moga silk is produced only in the Indian state of Assam. Moga silkworm is semi-domesticated. Moga silk is not well known in other parts of the world, but the inhabitants of Assam have been producing Moga silk clothes for the nobility of this region for generations.

sea silk; Silk produced from oysters

They are a special species of oysters native to the Mediterranean Sea, which produce silk-like fibers in a very small amount. The inhabitants of Taranto, Italy, cultivate these oysters, and because of this, the city produces a very small amount of sea silk, which makes the fabric produced from it rare. It is also called shell silk.

Kwan Silk; Silk to strengthen other silk fibers

A type of silkworm called Pacypasa atus, native to certain regions of Greece, Turkey and Italy, produces coan silk. This silkworm feeds on pine, cypress and oak trees. In ancient Rome, this silk had many uses; But today its production is limited and it is mainly used to strengthen other types of silk fibers.

types of silk fabric; From satin to crepe

There are different types of silk fabrics according to the source of silk (worms or other insects) and the fabric weaving method, which are:

charming Fabric similar to satin

This silk fabric is made with satin texture, and for this reason, it is usually confused with satin. One side is glossy and the other is matte. In general, it is more shiny than satin and is used in making scarves, shirts and underwear.

chiffon; Light and flexible

Silk chiffon is made from twisted silk fibers. It's light and slightly stretchy, has a rough surface and is great for bulking and layering clothes. It is mostly used for making wedding dresses and gowns, but it is also suitable for scarves and shirts.

silk crepe; Has a rough appearance