News

Silk is the strongest natural textile in the world. This textile was just recently surpassed in strength by alab-engineered biomaterial, but it remains the strongest fabric made through natural processes.

Despite its immense tensile strength, silk is generally prized for other reasons. Silk’s softness has made it a hotly desired commodity throughout history, and this simple fiber has built legendary trade routes and transformed cultures throughout the Old World.

How Is Silk Fabric Made?

While the silk industry has expanded greatly during the last century, the processes used to make this fabric are still largely the same as they were in the ancient world.

Once silkworm breeders have harvested silkworm cocoons, they usually expose them to high heat to prevent the mature worms from emerging. Some animal rights activists protest this practice; they contend that it’s possible to harvest silk without killing silkworms, but not much credence is given to this position.

Silkworms make cocoons out of one long strand of fiber, which means that a fully unraveled cocoon results in a single string of silk