A Comparison of the Chemical Structures and Production Methods of Silk and Artificial Silk
Abstract
Despite their seemingly similar exteriors, the chemical structures and production methods
of natural silk and the artificial silks rayon and nylon are quite different. Silk yarn, extracted
from the cocoon of the Bombyx mori moth, is made up of fibroin molecules with beta-pleated
sheet secondary structures. The fibroin molecules consist of crystalline fibers constructed of
regularly paralleled, unfolded polypeptide chains of polyglycylalanine mixed with an amorphous
part. Although viscose rayon was originally called “artificial silk,” it is not a truly synthetic
fiber, as it is made from wood pulp, a naturally-occurring, cellulose-based material. Nylon,
however, is a synthetic fiber. It is a polyamide whose molecular chains are formed by regularly
spaced –CONH– amide groups. Nylon 6-6, or poly(hexamethylneadipamide), is composed of
two structural monomers (hexamethylendiamine (H2N(CH2)6NH2) and adipic acid
(HOOC(CH2)4COOH), whereas Nylon 6, or poly(6-caprolactam), is composed of a single
structural unit (either 6-aminocaproic acid (H2N(CH2)4COOH) or caprolactam). Ultimately, the
different chemistries and production methods of these fibers give them certain advantages (such
as viscose’s ability to combine with other fibers to create new fabrics easily) and disadvantages
(such as nylon’s quickly weakening fibers or natural silk’s difficulty of production) over one
another that make them more or less suitable for certain purposes. For this reason, when
considering silk and artificial silk, it is illogical to pick one fiber that is superior to the others and
to focus on the production of that specific fiber.
A Compa...
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rapid development of polymer chemistry after World War II a host of new synthetic fibers
silk from spiders is not cost effective, so most research is focused on synthesis of spider silk
Smith, J. 2009. Making Cotton King. World Trade, July 1, 82. http://www.proquest.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/ (accessed January 6, 2010).
Australia is the world’s largest wool producing country, and has been for decades. The fine quality of wool from the result of fine breeding has definitely help contribute to the high demand of the wool industry. Much of Australia’s wool has been exported to other countries such as China, Italy, Taiwan, Republic of Korea and France. However, Australia’s wool production has been decreasing for the last 10 years and the demand has been declining because of the other, easier to manage, synthetic fibers and materials that have been introduced to the market. This following report is regarding the changes and effects the wool industry had on Australia in the 19th century, the reasons for the successful development of the wool industry, and also Australia’s current position in wool production.
Forensic analysis of dyed textile fibers. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2009Aug; 394(8):2009-18. Epub 2009 Jun 20.
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