WAXS STUDIES ON SILK FIBERS TREATED WITH ACID (BLUE) AND METAL-COMPLEX (BROWN) DYES

The changes in microstructural parameters in bivoltine and multivoltin e silk fibres due to (i) degumming, (ii) bleaching, (iii) blue acid dy e and (iv) brown metal complex dye processing have been studied using wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) method. The crystal size has been d etermined by Fourier analysis and also by matching the simulated inten sity profile obtained from one-dimensional Hosemann's paracrystalline model using (201) reflection observed in these silk fibres. Volume wei ghted and surface weighted crystal sizes have been estimated and compa red. The variations of tenacity and elongation results justify the res ults of X-ray studies reported here. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.