Deformation Behaviour of Mulberry Woven Silk Fabrics

Abstract

Dupion, soft silk, and silk taffeta are important commercial varieties of fabrics which are used for apparel, made-ups, and home furnishing. Deformation of the silk fabrics under load is expected from the products produced and used in different conditions. Fabric samples of three different varieties such as dupion, soft, and taffeta silk had been manufactured and the stretch and growth properties were evaluated in both dry and wet conditions. It is observed that stretch and growth properties of silk fabrics are correlated with cover factor, fabric thickness, fabric warp crimp, and twist significantly. The increase in stretch and growth properties of silk fabric in wet condition may be due to more swelling and relaxation of fiber structure and also attributed to breaking of hydrogen bond chain links in protein fiber.

Keywords

• dupion silk
• soft silk
• taffeta silk
• stretch properties
• growth properties
• swelling