Silk fabric: types, description, properties and applications. Natural and artificial silk

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Modern points of sale of clothing are striking in their diversity, the counters are packed with clothes from a variety of materials, both natural and artificial. But the main positions, as before, are occupied by silk, used for the production of various things. This fact is explained primarily by the unique properties of the material.

Silk fabric does not stretch or shrink. The surface has a pleasant sheen, which, when exposed to sunlight, shimmers with different shades and attracts the attention of others. During washing, the material absorbs a large amount of water (almost half of its own weight), but this does not prevent it from drying out quickly. A particularly valuable property of silk is durability. Thanks to all these properties, silk has earned the love of many consumers.

Silk also has a significant disadvantage - the price. Expensive silk fabric is too expensive for many, but even this was managed thanks to technological progress, as a result of which products made from artificial material began to appear on store shelves. This fabric is alsopopular with buyers, although it does not have the same properties as natural.

What silk material is made of

Silk fabric is woven from natural, synthetic and artificial threads. The last two variations can be safely attributed to one group - chemical. The artificial fabric is made from cellulose with chemical impurities, it has several excellent characteristics and affordable cost.

Natural material consists of thin hairs, which include wax, fat and proteins. Silk fiber is created from the proteins fibroin and the adhesive substance sericin. Dye and mineral elements are part of the fibers. Natural material, like Chinese silk, belongs to the category of expensive elite fabrics with a large list of positive qualities that its synthetic counterparts do not have, namely:

1. Increased hygroscopicity. The ability to absorb a large amount of moisture, but at the same time dry quickly.
2. Hypoallergenic. The material does not absorb dust, does not electrify, is suitable for people with allergies, prevents the spread of germs and masks unpleasant odors.
3. Good thermoregulation. In silk clothes, a person maintains an optimal body temperature in any weather.
4. Breathable and vapor permeable. Despite the fact that products made from natural silk fabric have a high density, natural fibers perfectly pass water vapor and air. This provides the best conditions for functioning.human body.
5. Wear resistance and durability. Silk fabric has a long service life without losing quality. It is even resistant to acetic acid and alcohol. Only a concentrated alkaline solution or acid can harm silk, as well as constant exposure to the sun.
6. Fire resistance. Of course, it is impossible to say that natural silk does not burn, but when a spark hits the fabric, it does not ignite, but slowly begins to smolder, spreading the smell of burnt feathers around.

Advantages of artificial fabric

It is scientifically established that the chemical composition of high-quality fibers has a beneficial effect on the human body. Consider the properties of silk fabric:

1. Relieve joint pain.
2. Has a positive effect on heart and skin diseases.
3. Helps with viral and cold ailments.
4. Promotes the process of cellular renewal, thereby prolonging human life.
5. Artificial silk soothes irritated skin and relieves dryness.

Silk fabric drapes well, making it perfect for dresses and curtains. The folds are even, and the products are light and airy.

The next advantage of silk is its color fastness. Clothes made from this fabric will not shed when washed and will not stain. Products can be dried in the sun without fear that it will burn out. But, despite the foregoing, it should be remembered that the care of silk products should be selected inaccording to its weaving and appearance (we will talk about them below).

Disadvantages of artificial material

Despite the large number of advantages, artificial material also has disadvantages:

1. The main disadvantages include its ability to accumulate electricity. This property gives consumers great inconvenience when wearing, because at the most inopportune moment, a dress or skirt can stick to the body. But the problem is solved quite simply - you need to use a special tool, an antistatic agent. Natural material does not have this problem.
2. The fabric is difficult to work with. Artificial silk is well cut and ironed, but the edges of the product crumble heavily. Therefore, many novice craftswomen do not risk taking it to work. In addition, the fabric has increased slip, so it is also difficult to cut parts.
3. You can work with silk fabric only with special needles (they are very thin). With an incorrectly selected needle, cut holes will remain at the stitching points.
4. Artificial silk keeps stains on clothes. Unlike natural material that masks stains and odors, here, if a person sweats, stains will remain. It can be difficult to wash them, stains remain on things even when clean water gets in. In the process of ironing, it is also impossible to wet the fabric, as traces will remain, and the item will have to be rewashed.

Types of silk fabrics

In the production of silk fabrics, various methods are usedweaving. The most popular are:

1. Satin.
2. Twill.
3. Linen.
4. Finely patterned.
5. Large-patterned.

The main difference between all of these types is the beautiful sheen inherent in silk.

According to the composition of the fibers, the fabric is divided into the presence of threads:

1. Natural.
2. Unnatural.
3. Synthetic.
4. Mixed.

Interesting. Mixed materials do not always include a composition of natural and synthetic fibers. The canvas may include exclusively natural fibers, but of different origin. For example, in recent years, for tailoring suits and dresses, materials are often used in which woolen and silk fibers are mixed in different proportions.

These categories, in turn, are subject to texture division:

1. Crepe.
2. Jacquard.
3. Satin.
4. Pile.

And then comes the division into subgroups according to the purpose of fabrics:

1. A certain direction.
2. Piece by piece (for sewing napkins, tablecloths and bedspreads).
3. Industrial.
4. Jackets and raincoat fabric.
5. Decorative.
6. For textile haberdashery.
7. Lining fabric.
8. Shirt.
9. Dress and costume.
10. Dress and blouse.

Crepe materials

The crepe type of silk includes fabrics that were made using the right or left crepe twist in the warp orwith the help of a duck. This technique allows to make the material rough, fine-grained with a mobile structure. It drapes well, stretches and has good elasticity. This technique uses two types of weave, depending on what is required for the output - crepe or full crepe.

The most common types of crepe fabrics include:

1. Crepe chiffon is a translucent, lightweight silk fabric made up of double or triple strands of crepe.
2. Georgette crepe is an elegant silk fabric, not as transparent as the previous representative of crepe fabrics, moreover, it is more shiny, and consists of three and four threads.
3. Crepe pleated - a thin silk fabric, which is derived from crepe de chine or crepe georgette. A distinctive feature of this material, as you might guess from the name, is the “wrinkled” surface, which is obtained by using weft threads with different crepe twists.

Semi-crepe materials

This variety primarily includes crepe de chine and light silk. Semi-crepe fabrics are based on raw material metaxa silk, which adds a glossy appeal to the material, and due to the use of linen weaving technology, the fabric structure drapes well, acquires stability and elasticity. Products made from crepe de chine practically do not wrinkle, therefore, they are very practical to wear.

The following representatives of semi-crepe materials are crepe satin and crepe satin. The description of silk fabrics can be expressed in this way: they have a rather densetexture, heavy, outwardly almost do not differ from each other. The front side of crepe satin and satin is smooth, and the wrong side is fine-grained. In production, satin weaving with crepe torsion of weft threads is used. Crepe satin and crepe satin are used to make almost any product: daily wear, evening wear, sleepwear, curtains, runners, slipcovers and more.

Rep semi-crepe fabrics include crepe-maroquin with a pronounced twist of the thread at the base. Such fabrics are practical, durable, very resistant to wear, have a rough and embossed texture. Business suits, casual and ceremonial outfits are sewn from crepe maroquin.

Another representative of rep weaving is fideschin (a variation of crepe de chine). This material has a rather dense specific structure, due to which the transverse scar is weakly expressed on the front side of the fabric. This fabric is used for tailoring, in exceptional cases, curtains.

Satin fabrics

Satin silk fabrics differ in fiber composition into the following types:

1. Viscose warp with acetate weft.
2. Acetate warp with viscose weft.
3. With triacetate weft viscose base.
4. With viscose weft triacetate base.

The entire satin subgroup of silk is bound by the same properties, such as a completely smooth surface of the fabric and an average density. The material is produced on linen, twill, satin or finely patternedtechnology of twisting from metax with a weakened gentle twist, which does not give a crepe effect. Satin fabrics are visually similar to cotton fabrics, but they are softer and more shiny.

Satin subgroup of silk includes:

1. Satin/satin/wet silk. These are iridescent silk fabrics with a satin twist, smooth and glossy on the front side and matte on the inside. These fabrics drape well.
2. Silk fabric. Material of average density with gentle gloss and the smallest degree of transparency. In appearance, the material is similar to staple fabric, but practically does not wrinkle.
3. Muslin fabric. Thin, not quite transparent silk fabric with medium twist muslin threads. The canvas has an attractive appearance, but there is also a minus - the divergence of the threads.
4. Chiffon. Thin and airy material. It can be plain, and there is also a silk fabric with patterns. Most commonly used for shirts and dresses.
5. Toile, foulard. Both sheets are made by linen twisting, characterized by airiness and plasticity. Foulard is a lighter material.

Wet silk can be further divided into several types:

1. Dupon.
2. Charmeuse.
3. Fi.

All these fabrics have varying degrees of density and sheen. They are used for tailoring outfits for an evening out and exclusive bed linen.

Jacquard fabrics

Paintings belonging to this group are distinguished by highdecorative. Jacquard weaving due to a variety of color overflows from light to dark tones adds volume to the canvas. And the sheen inherent in iridescent silk fabric with a pattern visually provides the surface with a metallic effect. On jacquard fabrics, a wide variety of patterns can be found: floral, multi-color, geometric or two-tone. Additional inclusions are used to emphasize the relief and textural contrasts.

In the jacquard subgroup, the collection of fabrics is not very diverse. The main raw material for their manufacture is acetate and triacetate fiber. Jacquard fabrics have a high density and are quite hard to the touch, an important advantage of this material is that it is not whimsical to care for. Scope of application - tailoring casual and elegant clothes, stage costumes and textiles for the home.

Pile materials

This group of fabrics has a high degree of decorativeness and elegance. It is quite difficult to work with pile fabrics, therefore, tailoring of products is carried out only by professional craftsmen with skills in cutting patterns, processing seams and others.

Matters belonging to this subgroup are distinguished by the fact that they have a dense pile fastening, an ideal and expressive pattern.

Pile fabrics include:

1. Velvet for sewing dresses. Cloths with a continuous, fairly dense pile and a stable vertical arrangement. Most often this material is produced in one color, but in rare cases you can find samples with a printed pattern.
2. Velorvelvet. Dense material with smoothed, slightly inclined viscose pile, up to 2 mm high. This fabric is much heavier than the one used for sewing dresses.
3. Etched velor velvet. The viscose pile is not located in a continuous web, but only in independent areas provided for by the pattern.

Differences between natural material and analogues of artificial and synthetic origin

It can be quite difficult to distinguish natural fabrics from an artificial counterpart, which cannot be said about synthetic fabrics that do not exist in nature, but are extremely complex chemical compounds. When choosing products made of silk or material, it remains to rely on personal feelings, which can fail or arrange a burning test (which the seller is unlikely to allow). How to distinguish materials?

In order to understand what is in front of you, you need to pay attention to the following features:

1. Synthetic materials are slightly stiffer, highly electrified, do not shrink or absorb moisture. Externally, synthetics have overflows, the brilliance of which is much brighter than that of natural silk. When burning, the threads melt, the process is accompanied by the smell of burnt plastic.
2. Artificial silk is less elastic and wrinkle a lot. According to the second sign, it is very easy to determine what material is in front of you, for this it is enough to squeeze the product tightly in your fist and hold for a few seconds, after that you need to smooth it and evaluate the result. On cellulose webs that have passedthe mercerization process to obtain a natural radiance leaves clear creases. In addition, rayon can be checked by setting fire to the thread. It will light up with a steady fire like paper with its characteristic smell.
3. Natural Chinese silk is very smooth and pleasant to the touch, when the material is applied to the hand, it seems to “flow” from it. When in contact with the skin, silk does not cause discomfort, quickly taking on body temperature and forming the effect of a second skin. This property is explained by the fact that natural threads are a protein product of the vital activity of an insect, therefore they are not rejected by skin receptors. If natural silk is set on fire, it does not burn, but smolders, releasing the smell of burnt hair or wool in the process. After burning out, a caked lump remains, which can be easily rubbed with your fingers.