Silk
Article
August 14, 2022
In common language, silk usually refers to caterpillar silk, the glandular secretion of the caterpillar of the silkworm (Bombyx mori), which is an important raw material for the textile industry. However, in a broader sense, silk refers to the glandular secretion of any animal that bears some resemblance to caterpillar silk. Examples include wild silk or spider silk. Only the fabric obtained from the cocoon of the silkworm is called silk. Types of silk fabric: taffeta, crepe desin, crepe jorsset, crepe satin, duisses, organza, satin, pongé, twill, bourette. Wild silk is used to make doupion, honan, or santung silk. The processing of silk originates from ancient China, where the secret was kept for thousands of years. Chinese silk goods were transported by merchants to Europe on the silk routes through Asia, where they were held in high esteem. It was only in 552 that two monks who had visited China succeeded in smuggling silkworm eggs to Europe, thereby establishing the silkworm breeding here as well, which then spread to many countries. Silk clothing has always been considered a luxury item in Europe. In 1680, János Péter Passardi introduced silkworm breeding in Hungary. After that, many silk manufactories operated in the country. In Óbuda, the first factory, the Filatórium (Silk Threading), was established in 1783, which was followed in 1785 by the Silk Bobber, also in Óbuda. Both Kossuth and Széchenyi advocated silkworm breeding, but this was finally realized only in 1880 by Pál Bezerédj in Tolna. Later, silk factories were established in many cities of Hungary, which operated until the 1990s. The cultivation of silk is difficult and its processing is labor-intensive. The cocoon is formed by the secretions of the two spiny glands produced by the silkworm, and the caterpillar cocoons itself from the double thread. At the beginning of the processing, the pupa is killed with hot air, then the material of the cocoon is softened in hot water and the silk thread itself is removed from it. This is then transformed into yarn by textile operations and made suitable for further processing (weaving, knitting, embroidery, etc.). With the advancement of synthetic fiber materials, its importance has decreased, accounting for only about 0.2% of all textile raw material consumption.