THE MODIFICATION OF WILD SILK FIBERS WITH METHACRYLAMIDE

Wild silk and cultivated mulberry silk fibres have been graft copolyme rised with methacrylamide, and the changes in the dyeing behaviour whe n dyeing with the levelling acid and milling acid dyes investigated. T he tensile properties of the fibres and their durability during launde ring have also been examined. The amount of the levelling acid dye ads orbed by all the fibres decreased with increasing polymer add-on, whil e the amount of milling acid dye adsorbed by the mulberry silk fibres was almost unchanged by the graft treatment. The breaking loads of the fibres were almost unchanged whereas rigidity of the fibres increased following graft treatment. The tensile properties of the grafted silk fibres were not diminished by laundering at polymer add-on levels gre ater than 50%.