Effect of degumming performed with different type natural soaps and through ultrasonic method on the properties of silk fiber

Abstract

Removal of sericin on the silk fibers is a surface modification process. Various chemical agents are used in the sericin removal process. In this article, effect of the sericin removal process performed in order to clear of the fiber surface from sericin through conventional and ultrasonic methods by using natural materials such as olive oil, daphne, turpentine soaps. The results obtained were examined with %weight loss values; bleaching properties, mechanical properties, morphological characteristics (SEM) followed by FT-IR. The most weight loss was observed in the sericin removal process performed with turpentine soaps through the ultrasonic method with a value of 28.9 %. Best results in terms of mechanical properties values and whiteness index values of the silk fibers were obtained in the ultrasonic method.