A Comparison of the Chemical Structures and Production Methods of Silk

A Comparison of the Chemical Structures and Production Methods of Silk and schmalzy SilkAbstractDespite their seemingly similar exteriors, the chemical structures and production methodsof cancel silk and the artificial silks rayon and nylon are quite different. Silk yarn, extractedfrom the cocoon of the Bombyx mori moth, is made up of fibroin molecules with beta-pleatedsheet secondary structures. The fibroin molecules consist of crystalline theatrical roles constructed ofregularly paralleled, unfolded polypeptide chains of polyglycylalanine conflate with an amorphouspart. Although cellulose xanthate rayon was originally called artificial silk, it is not a authentically synthetic substancefiber, as it is made from wood pulp, a naturally-occurring, cellulose-based material. Nylon,however, is a synthetic fiber. It is a polyamide whose molecular chains are formed by regularlyspaced CONH amide groups. Nylon 6-6, or poly(hexamethylneadipamide), is composed oftwo structural monomers (h examethylendiamine (H2N(CH2)6NH2) and adipic sour(HOOC(CH2)4COOH), whereas Nylon 6, or poly(6-caprolactam), is composed of a singlestructural unit (either 6-aminocaproic social disease (H2N(CH2)4COOH) or caprolactam). Ultimately, thedifferent chemistries and production methods of these fibers give them certain advantages (suchas viscoses ability to combine with other fibers to create new fabrics easily) and disadvantages(such as nylons quickly weakening fibers or natural silks impediment of production) over oneanother that make them more or little suitable for certain purposes. For this reason, whenconsidering silk and artificial silk, it is illogical to pick one fiber that is superior to the others andto focus on the production of that specific fiber.A Compa... ...io res publica University Extension FactSheet Textiles and Clothing. Retrieved July 25, two hundred8, from http//ohioline.osu.edu/hygfact/5000/5538.htmlSwicofil AG Textile Services. (n.d.). Viscose Rayon. Swicofil. Retrieved July 25, 2008, fromhttp//www.swicofil.com/viscose.htmlcTrossarelli, L. (2003). The autobiography of Nylon. Commissione Centrale Materiali e Tecniche.Retrieved July 25, 2008, fromhttp//www.caimateriali.org/Eventi/Torino/historynylon.htmlThe Viscose Company. (1937). The Story of Rayon (3rd ed.). New York Sales Office 200Madison Avenue The Viscose Company.Wikipedia. (July 24, 2008). Silk. Retrieved July 28, 2008, from http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SilkWikipedia. (July 28, 2008) Viscose. Retrieved July 26, 2008, fromhttp//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ViscoseWoodhouse, T. F. (1929). Artificial Silk or Rayon (2nd ed.). Sir Isaac coal miner & Sons, Ltd.