A study on the effects of ozone treatment on the properties of raw and degummed mulberry silk fabrics

Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent and is widely used in various applications, which includes bleaching of cotton. Its application on the processing of silk is non-existent. Research studies on degumming and bleaching of silk reveal that almost no work involving ozone has been carried out. Therefore a study was carried out to understand the effects of process parameters namely wet pickup, pH and time in the ozone treatment of raw and degummed mulberry and tassar silk fabrics on their properties. This paper reports on the effects of ozone treatment on the mulberry silk fabrics. The study was extended with a view to compare the ozone treatment with soap degumming and hydrogen peroxide treatment carried out on raw and degummed mulberry silk fabrics, respectively. The treatment results in increase in yellowness index and amino group content and decrease in breaking strength and elongation, weight and flexural rigidity. The results obtained are substantiated with tyrosine content, scanning electron micrographs and infrared spectroscopy of the treated materials. The effect of pH on the treatment is maximum up to pH 4 and then decreases. The treatment is more severe when the wet pickup used is 50% compared to that of 10 and 100%. With respect to treatment time, though the severity increases with time, it is maximum during the first 10 min of the treatment. Soap degumming of raw silk fabric results in lower yellowness index and flexural rigidity and lesser loss in breaking strength and elongation compared to that of ozone treated material. There is not much of difference between ozone and hydrogen peroxide treatments of degummed silk fabric except for the lower yellowness index obtained in the latter case.