The Creation of Synthetic Silk
(Gleason, 2007)
(Silkroad Foundation, n.d.)
(Myers, 2003)
(Silkroad Foundation, n.d.)
(Myers, 2003)
Synthetic silk has undergone multiple changes over the years. More common names for synthetic silk include rayon, nylon and viscose (Gleason, 2007).
70 BC
Natural silk was created by silkworms from silk glands (Karmakar, 1999).
1644
Robert Hooke was the first one who predicted synthetic silk could be produced (Myers, 2003). Because he was unable to create it, it took another 200 years for chemists to produce the first stage of synthetic silk (Myers, 2003). The production occurred in two phases; the first one commencing in the 19th century (Myers, 2003). Cellulose was a raw material that was used in laboratory experiments, making synthetic silk not fully synthetic (Myers, 2003).
1883
Charles Topham was looking for an alternate filament for light bulbs when he discovered how to produced nitrocellulose (Myers, 2003). Although this was a breakthrough in cellulose research, Topham did not know how to use his invention in the formation of silk (Myers, 2003).
1884
Louis Bernigaut used nitrocellulose in his replication of silk and was successful in creating the first artificial silk; also known as rayon (Myers, 2003). He used nitrocellulose from cotton and reacted it with sulfuric and nitric acid (Gleason, 2007). Next, the liquid was removed from the solution and the nitrocellulose was forced through an artificial spinneret (Gleason, 2007). Bernigaut spent many years attempting to decrease the flammability of rayon (Myers, 2003).
1900s
Bernigaut's product returned in the early 1900s when the United States commercially produced synthetic silk (Myers, 2003).
1901
At this time, multiple other chemists had discovered alternate methods to produce cellulose and replace nitrocellulose rayon (Myers, 2003).
2000s
Today, viscose is the most accepted form of synthetic silk along with rayon and nylon (Myers, 2003).
70 BC
Natural silk was created by silkworms from silk glands (Karmakar, 1999).
1644
Robert Hooke was the first one who predicted synthetic silk could be produced (Myers, 2003). Because he was unable to create it, it took another 200 years for chemists to produce the first stage of synthetic silk (Myers, 2003). The production occurred in two phases; the first one commencing in the 19th century (Myers, 2003). Cellulose was a raw material that was used in laboratory experiments, making synthetic silk not fully synthetic (Myers, 2003).
1883
Charles Topham was looking for an alternate filament for light bulbs when he discovered how to produced nitrocellulose (Myers, 2003). Although this was a breakthrough in cellulose research, Topham did not know how to use his invention in the formation of silk (Myers, 2003).
1884
Louis Bernigaut used nitrocellulose in his replication of silk and was successful in creating the first artificial silk; also known as rayon (Myers, 2003). He used nitrocellulose from cotton and reacted it with sulfuric and nitric acid (Gleason, 2007). Next, the liquid was removed from the solution and the nitrocellulose was forced through an artificial spinneret (Gleason, 2007). Bernigaut spent many years attempting to decrease the flammability of rayon (Myers, 2003).
1900s
Bernigaut's product returned in the early 1900s when the United States commercially produced synthetic silk (Myers, 2003).
1901
At this time, multiple other chemists had discovered alternate methods to produce cellulose and replace nitrocellulose rayon (Myers, 2003).
2000s
Today, viscose is the most accepted form of synthetic silk along with rayon and nylon (Myers, 2003).
Fun Fact!
Synthetic silk is made of mostly natural materials!
Synthetic silk is made of mostly natural materials!