Name : Devajatha RS

Roll No: BD/19/361

SUBJECT : FABRIC FUNDAMENTALS
ASSESMENT - 1
NOVELTY YARNS…..
WHAT ARE NOVELTY YARNS?

• Novelty yarns are fancy yarns that deliberately have unlike

parts and are irregular at intervals. The irregularities may be
subtle or very obvious and the intervals may be regular or
random. Novelty yarns may be single, plied or cord yarns.
They may be spun, filament or textured yarns- or any
combination of yarn types.
• Novelty yarns produce an interesting or novel effects in
fabrics made from them. Their structure may be complex
and consist of several yarn plies combined into one yarn.
These yarns are made on twisters with special attachments
for producing different tensions and rates of delivery in the
different plies. This produces loose, curled, twisted, or
looped areas in the yarn. Slubs or flakes or short-staple
fibres of different colour are introduced into the yarn by
special attachments. Knots or slubs are made at regular or
random intervals as the machine operates.
Characteristics of novelty yarns
• These yarns improve the aesthetic appeal of a fabric at a
lower cost. The durability of a novelty yarn depends on
the size of the ply effect, the fibre content and firmness
of the fabric structure. Usually, the smaller the novelty
yarn, the more durable is the fabric. The quality and cost
of novelty yarns are related to the quality of the fibres
and plies from which, the yarn is made and also the
regularity of yarn structure. Novelty bulky yarns add
crease resistance to the fabric.
• Novelty yarns are usually plied yarns, but they are often
weak and sensitive to abrasion damage.
• These yarns are generally used in one direction only, ie,
in the filling direction because it is more economical and
wastage is lesser. Also, filling yarns are less susceptible
to damage due to strain and are easier to vary for design
purposes.
Types of novelty yarns
• Novelty yarns are classified according to the single or
ply structure:
• Single yarns are Tweed and Slub Yarns.
• Ply Yarns are Ratine, Spiral, Knot, Snarl and Boucle.
 1. Tweed yarn
• Tweed yarn is a type of yarn that features contrasting flecks of
colour on a solid background. The flecks of color are often small
pieces of short fibre leftover from carding spun together with plies
of another fibre. Most kinds of tweed yarn are made with wool
and many varieties are known for their rough, scratchy texture, as
well as their warmth and durability.
• Some tweed varieties are blended with softer luxury fibres in
order to lessen the scratchiness of the yarn. Tweed yarn is
available in a wide range of weights, patterns and designs
including plain twill, overcheck twill, plain herringbone. overcheck
herringbone, houndstooth or dogtooth, checked tweed and
tartans. 
• Tweed garments are popular for functionality and warmth not to
mention fabulous style. Originally tweed was used for country
wear and has remained a popular fabric choice throughout the
centuries. Tweed is associated with country lifestyle, equestrian
wear and fashion. The diversity of its use makes it a popular
choice for many garment types including tweed jackets and
overcoats, trousers, breeks, caps, bags and even footwear.
How is tweed yarn made?
• Step one: Apply a layer of base fiber to your drum
carder. (Cheviot Wool)
• Step two: Apply flecks of different colors and textures.
(Pulled Sari Silk Roving)
• Step three: Apply another layer of your base fiber.
• Step four: Remove the batt and strip sections off
lengthwise and run the pieces through the carder
again. (repeat three or more times to ensure the fibers
are seamlessly blended)
• Step five: Remove the batt and roll into a center pull
bump
• Step six: Spin the bump in a woolen style using long
draw while attenuating out any undesired bumps.
• Step seven: Ply the single into itself for a bulkier yarn,
or onto a thinner single to create an art yarn, or leave
as is.
• Step eight: Skein your yarn and soak overnight.
• Step nine: THWACK your yarn to further set your twist
and let air dry.
2. Slub yarns
• Slub yarn refers to yarn that has been
purposely spun with slubs (thicker sections
along the yarn) while it was once seen only as
a defect, slub yarn is now intentionally created
to give fabric more personality.
• There are four factors that affect the visual
effect of slub yarns
1.Number of slubs per kilometer (NSm)
2.Diameter (dia) of slub
3.Length of slub
4.Distance between slub.
Types of slub yarn on the basis of visual effect:
Pattern/regular slub yarn
5.Non-pattern/irregular slub yarn
6.Multicount slub yarn
7.Both are pattern and non-pattern slub yarn.
Slub yarn making process
• 1. In the ring frame, there is a servo motor with slub gear and another
with twist gear.

2. Back and middle rollers get motion from the same gearing and the
front rollers get motion from separate gearing.

3. Slub is produced by the speed variation of back and middle rollers.

4. Break draft is always maintained properly, otherwise roving breakage

will be created.

5. Back roller speed will be increased continuously after a certain time.

As a result more material will be feed, whereas during that time the draft
of front zone remains constant. So a thick place in the final yarn will be
created after a certain time.

6. The controller controls the following:-After how much time (mili second)
the speed of back roller will be increased.
• How longer the increased speed will remain.
• Amount of speed that to be increased.
• 7. Twist gear is optional, the speed of front roller is fixed when twist gear
is not used.

8. Twist is controlled by changing the speed of front roller.

Uses of slub yarn
• Slub yarn is used in traditional fabrics
such as upholstery, lace, curtains and
household fabrics in general. But it is
becoming more popular in the
production of denim on ring spinning,
shirting and knitwear.
Ratine yarn
• Ratine fabric is the general term for any
fabric made from Ratine yarns. These yarns
are fancy yarns and have a nubbly surface.
• The Ratine fabric created from these yarns is
loosely woven and constructed using a plain
weave.
• It is usually made from cotton, wool or silk
and is a heavyweight fabric. The surface
texture of the fabric is knotted and uneven
from the yarns used.
• Ratine fabric can also be soft to the touch
and have a fine pile surface. This is woven on
a Ratine machine.
• Ratine comes from the French language and
means ‘Fuzzy.’ It is used for coats, dresses
and suits.
Spiral yarns
• The spiral fancy yarn is a plied yarn with smooth spiralling of
one component around the others. Delivering one or more of its
components at a greater speed can produce fancy yarn with
spirals, so the shorter length of the component forms the core,
while the greater length of the components creates the spirals.
• Plying technique used here. Typically, two single yarns of
different thickness and twist level are plied together with slight
over feed of course yarn.
• Spiral yarns can be produced with one component yarn being
fed faster than the other, requiring special overfeeding devices,
which are described later in this chapter; they may also be made
by simply plying yarns with differing linear densities but with the
same feeding speed. In this case, no special feeding devices
are required. Although the two component yarns have the same
length during feeding, once plied, the two yarns will have
different lengths depending on the ply twist direction. If the ply
twist is in the same direction of the thick yarn twist, the thick
yarn will contract, leading to a final yarn in which the thin yarn
spirals around the thick yarn; if the ply twist is in the opposite
direction of the thick yarn twist, the thick yarn will lengthen,
leading to a final yarn in which the thick yarn spirals around the
thin yarn.
Spiral yarn making process
• A manufacturing method for
manufacturing the spiral yarn
structure as claimed in claim 1,
comprising: drafting roves to form the
cover fiber through a drafting
assembly;
• feeding the core filament and the
wrap filament into the drafting
assembly through a guiding wheel so
that the core filament and the wrap
filament are fed into a space between
an upper roller and a lower roller of
the drafting assembly and run on two
sides of the cover fiber respectively;
• and twisting the core filament, the
cover fiber and the wrap filament
through a twister to form the spiral
yarn in such a manner that the cover
fibers enclose the core filament and
the wrap filament wraps the outer
side of the cover fiber.
Boucle yarn
• Boucle yarn is made from a length of loops of similar size which can
range from tiny circlets to large curls. To make boucle, at least two
strands of yarn are combined, with the tension on one strand being
much looser than the other as it is being plied, with the loose strand
forming the loops and the other strand as the anchor or “core” yarn.
• Boucle yarns give texture to woven fabrics often resulting in a more
aesthetically pleasing product.  With the boucle yarn being made
from multiple component yarns, a variety of colors can also be
introduced during the production process, resulting in a multi-
colored or “heathered” look.  While boucle yarns can certainly be
used in making base cloths for covering large areas such as sofas,
side chairs, or ottomans. They often find their place in woven
Jacquards, lending another level of texture and color to these multi-
layered fabrics.
• Boucle yarns can be made using a variety of component yarns,
ranging from polyester to polypropylene.  Revolution Performance
Fabrics are all made using polypropylene (otherwise known as
Olefin) yarns.  This allows the fabrics to be cleaned with bleach, and
creates a durable fabric while still being soft to the touch.  Some of
the more successful Revolution Performance Fabrics utilize a
combination of flat yarns with boucle yarns, resulting in multiple
textures and color combinations. 
Boucle yarn making process
• A boucle yarn is prepared by relaxed
heat treatment of a precursor yarn
prepared by combination of a low
shrinkage filament or yarn or
monofil at the back of the front roller
of a spinning frame with a roving of
high shrinkage fibers followed by
twisting to a twist multiplier of 1.5 to
4.0. The shrinkage differential
between the high shrinkage fibers
and the low shrinkage fibers must
be at least 20%.
Uses of novelty yarn
• There is an array of stunning high-end novelty silk
yarns available in the textile industry. When woven or
knitted into fabrics, they produce an altogether
different look.
• They are also used in making crochet and embroidery
threads. Fabrics manufactured from novelty yarns are
not only used in apparel, but also in upholstery. A
variation done in the type of yarn used can change the
complete outlook of a garment or a cushion cover.
• Apart from improving the visual appearance of the
fabric, these yarns also improve its texture and feel.
Sometimes warmth is also added as by using textured
yarns as in sweaters. The lusture is improved by using
metallic yarns and when used in garment, a normal
silhouette can turn into a party wear dress.
• Novelty yarns like spike yarns are also being used in
making soft toys. These yarns are providing us with a
huge variety of surface ornamented fabrics at a low
cost.
Q.1 HOW DOES THE YARN TWIST AFFECT THE FABRIC?

• TWIST: Twist is the spiral arrangement of the fibres around the axis of the yarn. The twist binds the fibres
together and also contributes to the strength of the yarn. The amount of twist inserted in a yarn defines the
appearance and the strength of the yarn. The number of twists is referred to as turns per inch.
• Yarn strength: 
•  Yarn tensile strength increases in staple fiber yarns as twist increases up a certain twist level known as ‘optimum
twist’.
•  Beyond this point, the strength of the yarn begins to decrease.
•  On the other hand, filament yarns are stronger untwisted, and the strength decreases as twist increases.
• Handle:
•  Yarn with higher twist levels is smooth. They are hard yarns that are less hairy and therefore relatively lustrous.
When such yarns are woven into fabric, the fabric feels smooth, hard and stiff.
•  Conversely a fabric produced from a low-twist yarn will be comparatively soft and limp.
• Moisture absorption:
•  High twist in a yarn holds the fibers together thus restricting water to enter.
•  Very highly twisted yarn is used where a high degree of water repellency is required (e.g. in gabardine fabric).
•  Low twist yarn is used where absorbency is required.
• Wearing properties:
•  The level of twist has effects on two aspects of wear: abrasion and pilling.
•  A high level of twist helps to resist abrasion as the fibers can’t easily be pulled out of the yarn.
•  The same effect helps to prevent pilling which occurs when fibers are pulled out of the fabric construction and rolled into little
balls on the surface.
• Aesthetic effect:
•  When yarns are incorporated in a fabric such that adjacent sets of yarn vary in the direction of twist, different effects like the
shade effect, stripe effect etc. can be produced because of light reflecting from two sets of yarns.
•  Prominence of twill lines in a fabric largely depends upon the direction of twist in warp and weft yarns. (Example: If the warp of
a twill has Z twist and twill line runs ‘down to the left’, then the use of an S-way weft subdues the twill line. Conversely, the use of
a Z-way weft will produce a bolder twill line)
• Crepe effect:

•  Very highly twisted yarn will be lively and tend to twist upon itself to produce snarls.

•  Fabrics made from highly twisted yarns will process a lively handle.

•  Crepe yarns have high twist factors (5.5-9.0) and are used to obtain the crepe surface on the fabric.

• Curling effect:

•  The tendency for yarns to untwist can cause the fabric to curl, especially at the corner.

•  Curling will occur if the untwisting couples of the warp and weft yarns reinforce each other instead of counter acting each other.
Q.2 COMPREHENSIVELY DISCUSS THE SPINNING PROCESS
OF WOOL
• The major steps necessary to process wool from the sheep to the fabric
are: shearing, cleaning and scouring, grading and sorting, carding,
spinning, weaving, and finishing.

Shearing

 Sheeps are sheared once a year—usually in the springtime. A veteran

shearer can shear up to two hundred sheep per day. The fleece
recovered from a sheep can weigh between 6 and 18 pounds (2.7 and
8.1 kilograms); as much as possible, the fleece is kept in one piece.
While most sheep are still sheared by hand, new technologies have been
developed that use computers and sensitive, robot-controlled arms to do
the clipping.

Grading and sorting

 2 Grading is the breaking up of the fleece based on overall quality. In

sorting, the wool is broken up into sections of different quality fibers, from
different parts of the body. The best quality of wool comes from the
shoulders and sides of the sheep and is used for clothing; the lesser
quality comes from the lower legs and is used to make rugs. In wool
grading, high quality does not always mean high durability.
Cleaning and scouring

 3 Wool taken directly from the sheep is called "raw" or

"grease wool." It contains sand, dirt, grease, and dried sweat
(called suint); the weight of contaminants accounts for about
30 to 70 percent of the  fleece's total weight. To remove
these contaminants, the wool is scoured in a series of
alkaline baths containing water, soap, and soda ash or a
similar alkali. The byproducts from this process (such as
lanolin) are saved and used in a variety of household
products. Rollers in the scouring machines squeeze excess
water from the fleece, but the fleece is not allowed to dry
completely. Following this process, the wool is often treated
with oil to give it increased manageability.

Carding

 4 Next, the fibers are passed through a series of metal teeth

that straighten and blend them into slivers. Carding also
removes residual dirt and other matter left in the fibers.
Carded wool intended for worsted yarn is put through gilling
and combing, two procedures that remove short fibers and
place the longer fibers parallel to each other. From there, the
sleeker slivers are compacted and thinned through a process
called drawing. Carded wool to be used for woolen yarn is
sent directly for spinning.
Spinning

 5 Thread is formed by spinning the fibers together to form one strand of

yarn; the strand is spun with two, three, or four other strands. Since the
fibers cling and stick to one another, it is fairly easy to join, extend, and spin
wool into yarn. Spinning for woolen yarns is typically done on a mule
spinning machine, while worsted yarns can be spun on any number of
spinning machines. After the yarn is spun, it is wrapped around bobbins,
cones, or commercial drums.

Weaving

 6 Next, the wool yarn is woven into fabric. Wool manufacturers use two
basic weaves: the plain weave and the twill. Woolen yarns are made into
fabric using a plain weave (rarely a twill), which produces a fabric of a
somewhat looser weave and a soft surface (due to napping) with little or no
luster. The napping often conceals flaws in construction.

• Worsted yarns can create fine fabrics with exquisite patterns using a twill
weave. The result is a more tightly woven, smooth fabric. Better
constructed, worsteds are more durable than woolens and therefore more
costly.

Finishing

 7 After weaving, both worsteds and woolens undergo a series of finishing

procedures including: fulling (immersing the fabric in water to make the
fibers interlock); crabbing (permanently setting the interlock); decating
(shrink-proofing); and, occasionally, dyeing. Although wool fibers can be
dyed before the carding process, dyeing can also be done after the wool
has been woven into fabric.
BY PRODUCTS
• The use of waste is very important to the wool industry. Attention
to this aspect of the business has a direct impact on profits.
These wastes are grouped into four classes:
 Noils. These are the short fibers that are separated from the
long wool in the combing process. Because of their excellent
condition, they are equal in quality to virgin wool. They
constitute one of the major sources of waste in the industry and
are reused in high-quality products.

 Soft waste. This is also high-quality material that falls out during

the spinning and carding stages of production. This material is
usually reintroduced into the process from which it came.

 Hard waste. These wastes are generated by spinning, twisting,

winding, and warping. This material requires much re-
processing and is therefore considered to be of lesser value.

 Finishing waste. This category includes a wide variety of

clippings, short ends, sample runs, and defects. Since this
material is so varied, it requires a great deal of sorting and
cleaning to retrieve that which is usable. Consequently, this
material is the lowest grade of waste.
Q.3 WRITE A SHORT NOTE ON DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SILK
AD SPUN SILK
• SPUN SILK
• Spun silk knitted fabrics have higher bursting strength, higher abrasion resistance,
higher air permeability, better wicking, higher shrinkage and lower drape as against
the comparable cotton knitted fabrics, irrespective of knit structureSpun silk threads
are soft, but they are less lustrous than reeled silk and are not as strong or elastic.
Spun silk fabric tends to become fuzzy after wearing because the yarn is made of
short staple.
• Spun silk is less expensive than reeled silk. Although spun silk has less strength and
elasticity than reeled silk because of the shorter staple used, it posses all the general
characteristics of reeled silk. Silk fabric made of spun silk yet gives good service
when the quality of the fibre is good.
• Spun silk is used for pile fabrics, dress trimmings and linings, elastic webbing, sewing
silk, summer wear silks, velvets, umbrella fabrics and insulation. Bursting strength
From these results, it can be observed that the spun silk knitted fabric shows higher
bursting strength value than the equivalent cotton knitted fabric, irrespective of knit
structure.
Abrasion resistance
These results show that the spun silk knitted fabrics display higher abrasion resistance than the equivalent cotton
knitted fabrics, irrespective of knit structure. This may be due to higher silk fibre tenacity.

Pilling resistance
From the above Table, it can be observed that the spun silk knitted fabric shows fuzziness and less pilling resistance
than the filament silk knitted fabric, irrespective of the knit structure. Pilling does not seem to be a serious problem
with spun silk and equivalent cotton knitted fabrics.

Drapeability
The drape results clearly show that the spun silk knitted fabrics give lower drape coefficient values than the equivalent
cotton knitted fabrics, irrespective of structure. Unpredictable trend may occur due to the curly nature of single jersey
knitted fabric.

Air permeability
From the above Table it can be seen that the spun silk knitted fabrics have higher air permeability than the equivalent
cotton knitted fabrics, irrespective of structure.

Wicking
The above values show that the spun silk knitted fabric has a higher wicking tendency than the equivalent cotton
knitted fabric irrespective of structure. The spun silk interlock knitted fabric shows higher wicking values than the
other knit structures, which may be due to higher stitch density of interlock fabric.
• Thermal insulation value
The thermal insulation results show that the values for spun silk knitted fabrics are higher than the equivalent
cotton knitted fabric irrespective of knit structure, which may be due to lower thermal conductivity of silk fibre.
This may be the reason for higher thermal insulation value in all the cases.

Thickness
From the above Table, it can be observed that the spun silk knitted fabrics show relatively the same thickness as
compared with the equivalent cotton knitted fabrics irrespective of knit structure. Rib knitted fabric shows higher
thickness value than all the other knitted fabrics, and this can be attributed to the bulkiness of rib knitted fabrics.

Weight [Grams per square metre]

From these observations it is clear that the weight of a knit structure increases with stitch density irrespective of
the knit structure and the yarn. Spun silk and cotton rib knitted fabrics show higher weight values than all the
other knit structures because of the higher yarn density of knitted fabric.

Shrinkage
The results show that the percentage of area shrinkage is higher for the spun silk knitted fabrics than the
equivalent cotton knitted fabrics, which may be due to the higher yarn tension (Silk: 7 - 8 g, Cotton: 4 - 5 g) during
knitting.
• Tensile properties
The above results show that the spun silk knitted fabric gives higher LT and WT values than the
corresponding cotton knitted fabrics irrespective of knit structure. This may be due to the higher fibre
tenacity and breaking extension of silk. The spun silk knitted fabrics show lower RT values than the
equivalent cotton knitted fabric irrespective of knit structure, which may be due to the good work
recovery property of silk.

Bending properties
The above Table shows that the spun silk knitted fabrics display higher bending rigidity than the
corresponding cotton knitted fabric irrespective of knit structure. This may be due to the higher specific
flexural rigidity of silk fibre. (Silk: 0.6 mN mm2/tex2 and Cotton: 0.53 mN mm2/tex2). Spun silk knitted
fabrics show lower hysteresis of bending moment than the cotton knitted fabric irrespective of knit
structure, a result that may be due to the higher work recovery of silk fibre.

Shear properties
The above values show that the shear properties of G, 2HG, 2HG5 values for spun silk knitted fabrics are
higher than those of the equivalent cotton knitted fabrics, which is mainly due to higher shear tenacity
of silk fibre than cotton. (Silk: 115.8 mN/tex and Cotton: 84.4 mN/tex)
• Compressional properties
The compression test results show that the spun silk knitted fabrics display lower LC and higher WC and
RC values than the equivalent cotton knitted fabrics in case of all three basic structures. Spun silk knitted
fabrics show higher RC values than the equivalent cotton knitted fabric, which may be due to higher
elongation and work recovery properties of silk.

Surface roughness and friction coefficient

From the above data, it can be observed that the spun silk and the equivalent cotton knitted fabric show
an unpredictable trend, which is probably due to variation in the stitch density of knitted fabric.

Conclusion
Spun silk knitted fabrics have higher bursting strength, higher abrasion resistance, higher air permeability,
better wicking, higher shrinkage and lower drape as against the comparable cotton knitted fabrics,
irrespective of knit structure. Pilling does not seem to be a serious problem with spun silk knitted fabrics.

Spun silk knitted fabrics have higher LT, WT value and lower RT value of tensile properties, higher B, lower
2HB value of bending properties, higher G, 2HG, 2HG5 value of shear properties, higher LC, WC and RC
values of compressional properties and higher MIU, MMD and SMD of surface roughness properties than
the respective cotton knitted fabrics irrespective of knit structure.
• SILK FIBRE
 Composition: The silk fibre is chiefly composed of 80% of fibroin, which is protein in nature and 20% of
sericin, which is otherwise called as silk gum.

 Strength: Silk as a fibre, has good tensile strength, which allows it to withstand great pulling pressure. Silk
is the strongest natural fibre and has moderate abrasion resistance. The strength of the thrown yarns is
mainly due to the continuous length of the fibre. Spun silk yarn though strong is weaker than thrown silk
filament yarns.

 Elasticity: Silk fibre is an elastic fibre and may be stretched from 1/7 to 1/5 of its original length before
breaking. It tends to return to its original size but gradually loses little of its elasticity. This would mean that
the fabric would be less sagging and less binding resulting in the wearers comfort.

 Resilience: Silk fabrics retain their shape and have moderate resistance to wrinkling. Fabrics that are made
from short – staple spun silk have less resilience.

 Drapability: Silk has a liability and suppleness that, aided by its elasticity and resilience, gives it excellent
drapability.

 Heat Conductivity: Silk is a protein fibre and is a non-conductor of heat similar to that of wool. This makes
silk suitable for winter apparel.
 Absorbency: Silk fabrics being protein in nature have good absorbency. The absorptive capacity of the silk fabric
makes comfortable apparel even for warmer atmosphere. Fabrics made from silk are comfortable in the summer
and warm in the winter. Silk fibre can generally absorb about 11 percent of its weight in moisture, but the range
varies from 10 percent to as much as 30 percent. This property is also a major factor in silk’s ability to be printed
and dyed easily.

 Cleanliness and Washability: Silk fabric does not attract dirt because of its smooth surface. The dirt, which
gathers can be easily removed by washing or dry cleaning. It is often recommended for the silk garments to be
dry-cleaned. Silk fabrics should always be washed with a mild soap and strong agitation in washing machine
should be avoided. Silk water – spot easily, but subsequent washing or dry cleaning will restore the appearance of
the fabric.

 Reaction to Bleaches: Silk, like wool, is deteriorated with chlorine bleaches like sodium hypochlorite. However,
mild bleach of hydrogen peroxide or sodium per borate may be used for silk.

 Shrinkage: Silk fabrics are subjected only to normal shrinkage which can be restored by ironing. Crepe effect
fabrics shrink considerably in washing, but careful ironing with a moderately hot iron will restore the fabric to its
original size.
 Effect of Heat: Silk is sensitive to heat and begins to decompose at 330° F (165° C). The silk fabrics thus have to
be ironed when damp.

 Effect of Light: Silk fabric weakens on exposure to sun light. Raw silks are more resistant to light
than degummed silK.

 Resistance to Mildew: Silks will not mildew unless left for sometime in a damp state or under the extreme
conditions of tropical dampness.

 Resistance to Insects: Silk may be attacked by the larvae or clothe moths or carpet beetles.

 Reaction to Alkalis: Silk is not as sensitive as wool to alkalis, but it can be damaged if the concentration and the
temperature are high. A mild soap or detergent in lukewarm water is thus advisable.

 Reaction to Acids: Concentrated mineral acids will dissolve silk faster than wool. Organic acids do not harm silk.

 Affinity for Dyes: Silk has good absorbency and thus has good affinity for dyes. Dyed silk is colourfast under
most conditions, but its resistance to light is unsatisfactory.

 Resistance to Perspiration: Perspiration and sunlight weakens and yellows silk fabrics. The silk itself
deteriorates and the colour is affected causing staining. Garments worn next to the skin should be washed or other
wise cleaned after each wearing.
Q.3 WRITE A SHORT NOTE ON WILD SILK
• Silk taken from various species has been used since ancient times, either in its natural state or after
some form of preparation. Spider webs were used as a wound dressing in ancient Greece and
Rome, and as a base for painting from the 16th century. Caterpillar nests were cut and pasted together to
make a paper-like fabric in the Aztec Empire.
• To make a woven fabric, silk threads must first be either carded and spun, or extracted as a single intact
thread. Commercially reared silkworms of the species Bombyx mori (Linnaeus, 1758) are normally killed
before the pupae emerge, either by pricking them with a needle or dipping the cocoons into boiling water,
thus allowing the whole cocoon to be unravelled as one continuous thread. This allows a much finer cloth
to be woven from the silk.
• There are more than 500 species of wild silkworms in the world, although only a few are used to produce
cloth. They usually produce a tougher and rougher silk than that from domesticated B. mori. Wild silks are
usually harvested after the moths have left the cocoons, cutting the threads in the process, so that there
is not one long thread, as with domesticated silkworms.
• Wild silks are more difficult to bleach and dye than silk from Bombyx mori, but most have naturally
attractive colours, particularly the rich golden sheen of the silk produced by the muga
silkworM from Assam, often known as Assam silk.
• The cocoon shells of wild silk moths are toughened or stabilized either by tanning (cross-linking) or by
mineral reinforcements (e.g. calcium oxalate). Recently, a new method has been developed, 
demineralizing, which can remove the mineral reinforcements present in wild silks and enables wet reeling
like the commercial silkworm.[Wild silk threads have been found and identified from two Indus River sites, 
Harappa and Chanhu-daro, dating to c. 2450–2000 BCE. This is roughly the same period as the earliest
evidence of silk use in China, which is generally thought to have had the oldest silk industry in the world.
The specimens of threads from Harappa appear on scanning electron microscope analysis to be from two
different species of silk moth, Antheraea mylitta and A. assamensis, while the silk from Chanhu-daro may
be from a Philosamia species, (eri silk), and this silk appears to have been reeled.
• Wild silks were in use in China from early times. Moreover, the Chinese were aware of their use in the
Roman Empire and apparently imported goods made from them by the time of the Later Han Dynasty in
the 1st to 3rd centuries CE.There are significant indications in the literature that wild silks were in use in
Persia and in Greece by the late 5th century BCE, apparently referred to as "Amorgina" or "Amorgian
garments" in Greece.Pliny the Elder, in the 1st century CE, obviously had some knowledge of how wild
silkworms' cocoons were produced and utilised on the island of Kos for coa vestis, even though his
account included some fanciful ideas
• Wild silks were in use in China from early times. Moreover, the Chinese were aware of their use in the
Roman Empire and apparently imported goods made from them by the time of the Later Han Dynasty in
the 1st to 3rd centuries CE.There are significant indications in the literature that wild silks were in use in
Persia and in Greece by the late 5th century BCE, apparently referred to as "Amorgina" or "Amorgian
garments" in Greece. Pliny the Elder, in the 1st century CE, obviously had some knowledge of how wild
silkworms' cocoons were produced and utilised on the island of Kos for coa vestis, even though his
account included some fanciful ideas.
• Wild silks are often referred to in India as 'Vanya' silks:

• The term 'Vanya' is of Sanskrit origin, meaning untamed, wild, or forest-based. Muga, Tasar, and Eri
silkworms are not fully tamed and the world lovingly calls the silks they produce as 'wild silks'.

• India produces four kinds of silk: mulberry, tasar, muga and eri. The silkworm Bombyx mori is fed on
mulberry leaves cultivated in plantations. Silkworms are also found wild on forest trees, e.g Antheraea
 paphia which produces the tasar silk (Tussah). Antheraea paphia feeds on several trees such as 
Anogeissus latifolia, Terminalia tomentosa, T. arjuna (Terminalia arjuna), Lagerstroemia parviflora and 
Madhuca indica. Wild silkworm Antheraea assamensis produces muga silk, and another wild
silkworm Philosamia synthia ricini (= Samia cynthia) produces eri silk. The estimated annual production of
tasar silk is 130 tonnes. Production of other types of silk exceeds 10 000 tonnes .
THANK YOU