Degumming of silk with methylamine

Abstract

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:="" "times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-theme-font:="" minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;="" mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">The effect of methylamine treatment at different concentrations, temperatures and treatment time on the weight loss, strength loss, bending length, crease recovery and flexural rigidity of mulberry silk fabric has been studied using a Box and Behnken response surface design and the conditions for degumming have been optimized. The best degumming is achieved when the silk fabric is treated with 0.2 M methylamine at 80°C for 30 min using 3 g/l non-ionic wetting agent. The fabric degummed under the optimized conditions shows properties comparable to those of the fabric degummed with Marseille's soap, Unlike soap, the degumming efficiency of methylamine is not affected by the hardness of water up to 1000 ppm The degumming action of ethylamine, diethylamine and triethylamine has also been evaluated under the above optimized conditions.</span>