A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MULBERRY AND TASAR SILK

SYNOPSIS OF Ph.D. THESIS

A partial fulfillment to Award the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy in Textile Technology

Submitted
By
RAVISANKAR, C.K.
U.S. No.: 1SK07PGM04
Guide:
Dr.S.S.RAMATAL, M.Tech., Ph.D.,
Principal,
Govt. S.K.S.J. Technological Institute,
Bangalore 560 001

VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Belgaum 590 018
Research Centre:
Government Sri Krishnarajendra Silver Jubilee Technological Institute
K.R.Circle, Bangalore-560 001

March 2011

1. INTRODUCTION
Silk is said to be the queen of textile fibres and the products made out of it are
lustrous and have good handle. Two types of silks - namely mulberry and tasar are produced
in India. Silk is a protein fibre and unlike wool has a higher strength and low elongation. It is
one of the least researched fibres and there is renewed interest in developing a number of
niche products.

Although a considerable amount of work has been carried out on silk, it is saddening
to note that scientific research on it is still at its infancy. Compared to wool, the quantum of
research which has been carried out on silk is minimal. The main difference between wool
and silk lies in the fact that former is a cutstaple while the latter is continuous filament. Silk
has lower elongation in comparison with wool.
Carrying out research on silk in a scientific manner is what is required today to
process silk in a better way and to derive all its advantages. The consumption of both
mulberry and tasar silk is showing an upward trend and hence an in depth study on these
two fibres is warranted.
The present study is an attempt to understand the two important commercial varieties
namely mulberry and tasar grown in India.
Among the various textile fibres, wool and silk are protein fibres and are also
considered as luxury materials. Today China and India are the major production centres of
silk. Silk was used as a suture material from time immemorial and recently there is a surge in
the consumption of various types of silks. Silk is obtained from cocoons which are taken for
reeling. While mulberry silk is domesticated one, tasar is still produced in outdoors. It is a
wellknown fact that there are considerable differences in the properties of these silks and
there is ample literature which is available. Most of the studies have been directed towards
the stress strain characteristics of silk and degumming losses. The literature on degumming
losses of these two types of silks following degumming is scant in that the effect of various
types of degumming has not been examined. The very purpose of degumming is to remove
the gum from the silk and to improve its handle. If sericin is not properly removed, it will
affect the dyeability of the material. Also the presence of gum will make the material harsh.

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Past studies on degumming focused on mulberry silk and a considerable body of
literature is available on this area. The consumption of tasar silk shows an upward trend. A
number of products such as shirtings, dress materials, sarees and blended materials have been
developed from tasar silk and the demand for those products is also very good. Tasar silk is
known for its stiffness in comparison with mulberry silk. The special feature of tasar silk is
the presence of characteristic yield point as compared to mulberry silk in its stress strain
curve. A number of studies have been made on viscoelasticity of silk fibres. Inverse stress
relaxation of mulberry silk has been investigated and data on the stress relaxation are also
available. There is ample scope for the utilization of tasar silk in India.
This work is concerned with a comparative study of the properties of mulberry and
tasar silk yarn following degumming by various methods such as acid, amine and enzymatic
degumming. The present study examines the effects of different types of degumming
processes on the tensile strength, elongation and wicking properties of mulberry and tasar
yarns. These studies are very important because the processability of the fabrics is affected
by the presence of gum. For knitting process, it is important that the gum is removed for
using the silk yarn. Optimum removal of gum from the silk is important as the presence of it
affects the dyeability of the yarn. The removal of the gum results in a dramatic improvement
in the handle and drape of the fabrics. Hence the degumming process plays a vital role in silk
technology.

Although these two types of silk constitute major types of silks produced in India, it is
disappointing to note that the amount of research work that has been carried out is not
significant. Only some products have been developed using tasar silk and scientific data on
their handle and comfort properties are non existent. The motivation of this thesis is to
explore these areas and contribute to the scientific advancement of the subject. With the
introduction of the various methods of investigating the properties of textile materials, it is
imperative that these methods should be applied to these materials in order to improve our
understanding of various properties. It is indeed surprising to find that no work has been
carried out so far on the wickability of the silk yarns. The goal of present study is to provide
valuable information on the wickability of mulberry and tasar silks which will throw
considerable light on their comfort characteristics.

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No studies have been carried out so far on the prediction of mechanical properties of
mulberry and tasar yarns using Weibull Distribution which has been applied to yarns made
out of cotton, jute / cotton blends and composite materials. The application of Weibull
Distribution has also been made to wool fibres and the existing model has been modified.
Since wool fibre has a large variability in its diameter, the inclusion of this parameter made
Weibull Model more accurate. It is indeed surprising to note that Weibull Distribution has
not been applied to the study of failure of silk yarns. For the first time, work has been carried
out on the effect of gauge length and strain rate on the tensile properties of tasar and
mulberry silk to highlight their differences. Prediction of strength of the silk fibres by using
Weibull Model has brought out many new findings.
The physical and mechanical properties of mulberry and tasar fabrics have been
studied in terms of wickability, tensile strength, elongation, air permeability, abrasion
resistance, stiffness and drape co- efficient. The effect of exposing the samples to sunlight on
the properties mentioned above has also been examined. The results show considerable
differences in the properties which are likely to affect the serviceability of the fabrics.
The results show that the degumming loss in respect tasar silk was lower than
that of mulberry silk. Degumming loss following acid degumming in respect of mulberry silk
displayed the maximum value while amine degumming resulted in lower value. The same
trend was noticed in tasar silk. The wickability of mulberry was found to be higher in
comparison with tasar silk. The effect of the actinic treatment also had a significant effect on
the wickability of mulberry and tasar silk. Exposure of silk for a very long time has led to
better wickability.
In general, tasar silk was found to display lower strength than that of mulberry silk. A
drop in strength of mulberry silk fabric following exposure to sun light was noticed.
Elongation of mulberry silk was found to be higher than that of tasar silk.
Tasar silk displays a higher value of air permeability as compared to mulberry silk.
As far as air permeability of silk fabrics is concerned, significant improvement is noticed
upto 8 days sunlight exposure. The abrasion resistance was found to be influenced by the
exposure time. The effect of exposure to sunlight has been found to influence stiffness of the
material in that the stiffness has increased with an increase in the exposure time. Drape of
tasar silk fabric is found to be better than that of the mulberry silk fabric.

3
Sen and Murugesh Babu (1) have reported on the cross section and densities of the
Indian silk varieties. Kothari et al (2) have observed that the stress relaxation is
significantly greater in non-mulberry silk than in mulberry silk and that the differences
among non- mulberry silk fibres are relatively small. The mechanical properties of
Regenerated Silk Fibroin (RSF) polymer solution of Bombyx Mori silk using micro
rheological techniques have been studied by Raghu et al (3).
In a series of papers on Indian silk, Sen and Murugesh Babu (1) have looked at the
macro characterization and analysis of amino acid composition. Different varieties of
Indian silk for their macro structural parameters such as filament length, degumming loss,
denier, cross section, moisture regain and intrinsic viscosity were characterized for the
results of amino acid analysis using a reverse phase techniques.

Five Indian silk varietiestwo mulberry (bivoltine and crossbreed) and three nonmulberry (tasar, muga, and eri)were investigated. The differences existing between the
different varieties and the extent of lengthwise variations within a cocoon in the
dimensional and macrostructural parameters were discussed. It was observed that denier of
the filament decreased considerably from the outer to the inner layers, whereas density
showed an increasing trend in all the varieties. Both the mulberry silks demonstrated lower
moisture regain. Electron micrographs of all the non-mulberry varieties showed microvoids
in their cross section. Fraction studies showed the development of mushroom structure on
the tips. In both types of mulberry silk, glycine, alanine, and serine constitute about 82% of
the amino acids present. On the other hand, in non-mulberry silks, these constitute about
73% with a high proportion of alanine. The non-mulberry varieties showed a substantial
proportion of amino acids with bulky side groups. Similarly, the higher hydrophilic to
hydrophobic amino acid ratio (9.069.85) for non-mulberry silks, compared against that of
the mulberry varieties (5.296.22) was shown to be responsible for the higher moisture
content of non-mulberry silks. Cystine and methionine were present in all the varieties. The
higher intrinsic viscosity of non-mulberry varieties suggested their higher molecular
weight.

4
Through amino acid analysis, it was shown that there is no difference in chemical
architecture between the outer and the inner layers of cocoons.
In another paper, these authors (4) have studied the structure and physical
properties of five varieties of Indian silk: two mulberry (bivoltine and crossbreed) and three
non-mulberry (tasar, muga, and eri). A detailed analysis of the microstructural parameters
and mechanical properties was reported. Significant differences between and within the
varieties with respect to microstructural parameters (crystallinity, density, birefringence,
dichroic ratio, sonic modulus etc.) as well as the effect of microstructural parameters on
mechanical properties were discussed. Some of the observations made on the inverse stress
relaxation behaviour of the different silk varieties were also reported. The extent of
variation of these morphological parameters was found to correlate well with the
mechanical properties.
The same authors (5) have reported on the effect of structure on dyeing behaviour
of silk. The results of the dyeing tests carried out were discussed in relation to the physical
and chemical structure of the silk fibers. Noticeable differences in the dye uptake were
observed among the different varieties of silk (6). Mulberry varieties showed higher dye
uptake compared to that of all three non-mulberry varieties. Among the non-mulberry
varieties, tasar shows higher dye uptake followed by eri and muga. Interestingly, dye
uptake reduces significantly within a variety from the outer to the inner layers. The
reduction within a variety was found to correlate well with the morphological parameters.
Determination of morphology of fibers confirmed significant differences in structural
parameters such as crystallinity, orientation, density, and birefringence, for example,
between and within varieties. An increase in all these parameters was observed as one
moves from the outer to the inner layers within a variety. The differences in the dye uptake
of different varieties of silk correlated well with the physical as well as chemical structure
of silk fibers. Dye uptake differences between the varieties were found to correlate with the
end amino groups.
Divakara et al (7) have looked at the correlation between micro structure and micro
rheological parameter of various silk filaments and the changes in micro crystalline
filaments. The changes in micro crystalline parameters of raw wild varieties of silk fibres
like tasar, muga and eri. have been studied using wide angle X-ray scattering technique and
a line profile analysis. A method involving an exponential distribution has been used to
compute the micro structural parameters for the crystallite. In addition, a home built open
5

microscope set-up is also used for determining the micro rheological parameter for all the
three silk varieties in solution form. A comparative study reveals interesting correlation in
the relative strength of the varieties of silk fibres in both crystalline form and in solution.
Further, the findings also reveal that muga is stiffer than the other non-mulberry silk
varieties and this is observed in both the forms. In view of above, muga silk is
recommended for the production of technical textiles.
Sen and Murugesh Babu (4) found that muga exhibits the highest density followed
by tasar and eri among the non-mulberry silk varieties. This suggests that the degree of
crystallinity and crystallite orientation are high in muga as compared to other varieties.
Interestingly the WAXS (Wide Angle X-ray Scattering) technique used by Divakara et al
suggest that the eri has the highest intensity >400 for 110 planes than muga (>350) and
tasar (>300) silk indicating the high degree of crystallinity for eri silk, although its absolute
measurements is difficult.
The effect of plasma treatment on morphology and the surface characteristics of
different varieties of Indian silk fibres were investigated by Bhat and Ahir Rao (8). Bhat and
Nadiger (9) reported that the micro structural parameter crystallinity and crystallite size
increased after treatment with Hcl of different concentration.

2. OBJECTIVES
Aims and objectives of the present investigation
Indian silks such as mulberry and tasar are different in many aspects. Several groups
of research workers have looked at the structural aspects of these silks. All these studies have
improved our understanding on the effect of structure on the mechanical

properties of

various types of silks. In spite of the developments, it is clearly felt that much more needs
to be done in order to develop niche products. Development of innovative products requires a
careful study of the existing technology so that those factors that are critical to quality are
identified and new products are developed.
The studies made on mulberry and tasar silks are inadequate in that many important
studies on degumming and their effects on the properties of yarns and fabrics were not made.
The principal objectives of the study were:
1. To investigate the effect of degumming process on the degumming losses of mulberry
and tasar silks.
2. To study the wickability of the mulberry and tasar silks following degumming by
various methods. Also the effect of actinic treatment on wicking has been examined.
3. To investigate the effect of gauge length on the properties of tasar and mulberry silks
and to model the strength by using Weibull Distribution.
4. To examine the tensile strength, elongation, abrasion resistance, stiffness, airpermeability and drape of mulberry and tasar silk fabrics.

3. METHODOLOGY
Tests on silk filament and silk fabric:
Mulberry and Tasar Silk Filament Test

Degumming loss
* Acid Degumming
* Amine Degumming
* Enzyme Degumming
Wickability
Tensile Strength at different gauge lengths
Elongation

Mulberry and Tasar Silk Fabric Test

Wickability
Tensile Strength
Elongation
Air Permeability
Abrasion Resistance
Stiffness
Drape Co- efficient

Degumming was carried out by acid, amine and enzyme.

Instron Instrument Test: Weibull Distribution

Mulberry Silk Filament
Raw Mulberry Silk Test:

Tasar Silk Filament

Raw Tasar Silk Test:

10mm gauge length

10mm gauge length

20mm gauge length

20mm gauge length

30mm gauge length

30mm gauge length

40mm gauge length

40mm gauge length

100mm gauge length

100mm gauge length

Degummed Mulberry Silk Test:

Degummed Tasar Silk Test:

10mm gauge length

10mm gauge length

20mm gauge length

20mm gauge length

30mm gauge length

30mm gauge length

40mm gauge length

40mm gauge length

100mm gauge length

100mm gauge length

The mulberry and tasar silk filaments were tested at 10, 20, 30, 40 and 100 mm gauge
length using Instron Tensile Tester. Thirty tests were done on each sample before and after
degumming.

4. RESULT & CONCLUSION

4.1. MULBERRY SILK ANALYSIS
4.1.1. Degumming Analysis
The mulberry samples during acid degumming, amine degumming and enzyme
degumming had a maximum gum loss after degumming process when compared with tasar
silk.
It is a well known fact that the non - mulberry silks have lower gum content and
findings of the present study are in agreement with this fact.
Effect of type of degumming on degumming loss:
It is apparent that acid degumming process has led to a maximum loss while
degumming using amine has resulted in a lower value in both the cases. This may be due to
the fact that acid degumming is very effective in that the reaction between silk and acid is
quite high and hence the degumming losses are greater.
4.1.2. Wicking Behaviour Analysis
Wicking behaviour for mulberry silk exposed to sunlight for 12 days was found to be
better.
The wicking behaviour of acid degummed mulberry silk sample showed maximum
value when compared to the acid degummed tasar silk sample.
The wicking behaviour of amine degummed mulberry silk sample showed maximum
value when compared to the amine degummed tasar silk sample.
The wicking behaviour of enzyme degummed mulberry silk sample showed
maximum value when compared to the enzyme degummed tasar silk sample.
4.1.3. Tensile Strength Analysis
While the enzyme degummed mulberry silk sample showed minimum loss in
strength, the amine degummed mulberry silk sample showed maximum strength loss.
This may be due to the fact that the amine degrades the silk at maximum extent.
Enzyme treatment is less severe. It is interesting to note that acid degumming in respect of
tasar silk has led to greater loss in strength namely 34.6%. Generally speaking tensile
strength of tasar silk after degumming is very sensitive to the treatments. Loss in tensile
strength of tasar silk following degumming by enzymatic treatment is 16.1% which is much
higher in comparison with mulberry silk.
9

This is due to the fact that reactivity between degumming agents is very high while in
the case of mulberry silk the reactivity appears to be less.
As the exposure of sunlight increases, tensile strength of mulberry silk decreases.
Tensile strength of the mulberry silk in warp way direction after 12 days exposure to
sunlight is greater than the tensile strength of the mulberry filament in weft way direction
without sunlight exposure.
Tensile strength of tasar and mulberry silk fabrics following exposure to sunlight
It is clear that exposure to sunlight has resulted in strength loss in both the cases.
With severity of the treatments, losses are found to be greater in both the samples. Tasar silk
fabrics show lower values of tensile strength as compared to mulberry. Mulberry silk shows a
higher value both in warp and weft directions as compared to tasar silk. It is also interesting
to note that in respect of mulberry silk particularly in warp direction the strength losses are
less.
4.1.4. Elongation Analysis
It is clear that amine degummed mulberry silk sample has maximum elongation loss
of 45% when compared to the original sample. Acid degummed mulberry silk sample
showed an elongation loss of 33.3% and enzyme degummed mulberry silk sample showed
better results in elongation.
As the exposure of sunlight increases, elongation of mulberry silk decreases.
Elongation of the mulberry silk in warp way direction is greater than the weft way
direction.
4.1.5. Air Permeability Analysis
Air Permeability for mulberry silk exposed to sunlight for 4 days and 8 days was
found to be better than without sunlight exposure.
Air permeability of the mulberry silk without sunlight exposure is lower than that of
the tasar silk after 12 days sunlight exposure.
Air permeability values are quite high in tasar fabrics in comparison with mulberry
silk fabrics. The effect of exposure of sunlight on both the fabrics is not found to follow any
trend. This is due to the fact that pore sizes of tasar fabric are bigger than the mulberry
fabrics.

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4.1.6. Abrasion Resistance Analysis

As the exposure of sunlight increases, abrasion resistance of mulberry silk decreases.
Abrasion resistance of the mulberry silk in warp way after 12 days exposure to
sunlight is greater than that of weft way without sunlight exposure.
Values of abrasion resistance are found to be higher in the case of tasar silk. Exposure
to sunlight has led to a deterioration in both the silks. This may be due to the fact that the silk
fabrics following exposure to sunlight become tender.
4.1.7. Stiffness Analysis
As the exposure of sunlight increases, stiffness of mulberry silk increases.
Stiffness of the mulberry silk in warp way is greater than that of weft way.
Stiffness value of mulberry silk is slightly lower than that of tasar silk.
4.1.8. Drapeability Analysis
Drape coefficient % of mulberry silk is found to be lower than that of tasar silk.
It is noticed that drape values of tasar silk fabric are found to be better than those of
mulberry silk fabric. Drape seems to be unaffected by the exposure time and no consistent
trend has been noticed.
4.2. TASAR SILK ANALYSIS
4.2.1. Degumming Analysis
Acid degummed tasar, Amine degummed tasar and enzyme degummed tasar samples
had a minimum gum loss after degumming when compared with mulberry silk.
It is a well known fact that the non-mulberry silks have lower gum content and
findings of the present study are in agreement with this fact.
Effect of type of degumming on degumming loss:
It is apparent that acid degumming process has led to a maximum loss while
degumming using amine has resulted in a lower value in both the cases. This may be due to
the fact that acid degumming is very effective in that the reaction between silk and acid is
quite high and hence the degumming losses are greater.
4.2.2. Wicking Behaviour Analysis
Better wicking behaviour for tasar silk exposed to sunlight for 12 days than without
sunlight exposure is noticed.

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4.2.3. Tensile Strength Analysis

Enzyme degummed tasar silk sample showed better results in strength and the sample
acid degummed tasar silk has maximum strength loss.
This may be due to the fact that the acid degrades the silk at maximum extent.
Enzyme treatment is less severe.
It is interesting to note that acid degumming in respect of tasar silk has led to greater
loss in strength namely 34.6%. Generally speaking tensile strength of tasar silk after
degumming is very sensitive to the treatments. Loss in tensile strength of tasar silk following
degumming by enzymatic treatment is 16.1% which is much higher in comparison with
mulberry silk.
This is due to the fact that reactivity between degumming agents is very high while in
the case of mulberry silk it appears to be less.
As the exposure of sunlight increases, tensile strength of tasar silk decreases.
Tensile strength of the tasar silk in warp way direction is greater than the tensile
strength of the tasar filament at weft way direction.
Tensile strength of tasar and mulberry silk fabrics following exposure to sunlight
Exposure to sunlight has resulted in strength loss in both the cases. With severity of
the treatments, losses are found to be greater in both the samples. Tasar silk fabrics show
lower values of tensile strength as compared to mulberry. Mulberry silk shows a higher value
both in warp and weft directions as compared to tasar silk.
4.2.4. Elongation Analysis
Acid degummed tasar sample has maximum elongation loss of 64.8% when
compared to the original sample. Amine degummed tasar sample showed an elongation loss
of 56.6% and Enzyme degummed tasar sample showed better results in elongation.
As the exposure of sunlight increases, elongation of tasar silk decreases.
Elongation of the tasar silk in warp way is greater than that of weft way.
4.2.5. Air permeability Analysis
Better air permeability for tasar silk exposed to sunlight for 4 days and 8 days than
without sunlight exposure is noticed.

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Air permeability of the tasar silk sample after 12 days sunlight exposure is greater
than the mulberry silk without sunlight exposure.
Air permeability values are quite high in tasar fabrics in comparison with mulberry
silk fabrics. The effect of exposure of sunlight on both the fabrics is not found to follow any
trend. This is due to the fact that pore sizes of tasar fabric are bigger than the mulberry
fabrics.

4.2.6. Abrasion Resistance Analysis

As the exposure of sunlight increases, abrasion resistance of tasar silk decreases.
Abrasion resistance of the tasar in warp way is greater than that of weft way.
The values of abrasion resistance are found be higher in case of tasar silk. Exposure
to sunlight has led to a deterioration in both the silks. This may be due to the fact that the silk
fabrics following exposure to sunlight become tender.

4.2.7. Stiffness Analysis

As the exposure of sunlight increases, stiffness of tasar silk increases.
Stiffness of the tasar silk in warp way is greater than that of weft way.
Stiffness value of tasar silk is slightly higher than that of mulberry silk.

4.2.8. Drapeability Analysis

Maximum drapeability for tasar silk is observed during the exposure of sunlight for 4
days.
It is noticed that drape values of tasar silk fabric is found to be better than that of
mulberry silk fabric. Drape seems to be unaffected by the exposure time and no consistent
trend has been noticed.

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5. Summary
This study has shown clearly the differences between mulberry and tasar yarns and
fabrics. While degumming losses are higher in mulberry silk, they are lower for tasar silk.
Acid degumming has led to higher degumming loss while amine degumming has resulted in
a lower value. Gauge length had significant effect on the tenacity of silk fibres.
Wickability of mulberry silk was found to be higher than that of tasar silk. Tenacity
of mulberry silk was found to be higher than that of tasar silk. The same trend was noticed in
elongation. Air permeability of tasar fabrics was found to be higher than that of mulberry silk
fabrics. Abrasion resistance of tasar silk fabric was found to be higher than that of mulberry
silk. Tasar silk fabric has shown a higher value of stiffness and good drape.

UTILITY
The findings of the present study will enable the consumers and manufacturers to
come out with niche products made out of tasar silk. Wickability data on both the types of
silks will provide useful information on the comfort characteristics and in designing the
garments suitable for summer and winter.

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