Artificial silk is a beautiful, thin and comfortable material that looks very similar to its natural counterpart. At the same time, with a much more attractive cost, improved physical characteristics and a less labor-intensive production process.
It is not surprising that artificial silk material is very popular and in demand. The fabric is made from natural cellulose, subject to chemical treatment. Meanwhile, it should not be confused with synthetic, which is made from petroleum products - from polyesters.
What kind of fabric is this?
So, we found out that silk can be natural, artificial and synthetic.
- The first is high-quality material, which is made from protein compounds in the cocoons of silkworm caterpillars. Several thousand years ago, the technology was mastered in Ancient China and for many centuries it was kept a strictly secret. Only members of the imperial family could afford to wear clothes made of natural silk. With the development of the Great Silk Road, the fabric came to the West, but due to the labor intensity, high cost and length of the manufacturing process, it was available only to the highest strata of society. So people began to try to invent an analogue of natural matter, similar in appearance and properties, but different in price and ease of production.
- Artificial silk is a soft and elastic material, with a slight sheen and a smooth surface. Externally, it is very similar to natural one, but the fiber from which artificial silk is made has nothing to do with the secretion of the silkworm caterpillar. The name “artificial” is more of a household name. It is more correct to call the fabric viscose or acetate. These are two categories of wood cellulose fabrics produced from different types of fiber, cellulose hydrate and cellulose ether, respectively. The fabrics are pleasant to the touch, hypoallergenic, soft, wear-resistant, and easy to dye.
- The raw materials for the production of synthetic silk are petroleum products. This fabric practically does not wrinkle, but also does not allow air or moisture to pass through. It is the cheapest analogue of natural silk fabric.
Comparison with natural
No matter how high-quality artificial silk is, it is difficult for it to compete with natural silk. The latter simply has no equal. But people confuse them and buy synthetic silk at the price of its natural counterpart.
Author:
Anastasia Kukushkina
I hope you enjoy the article I have prepared for you! If you find errors in it, write to me about it! I will answer any questions you have, ask them!
