Effect of Sericin Content on the Structural Characteristics and Properties of Silk Non-Woven Fabric

Silk is composed of two biopolymers (fibroin and sericin) and a biomaterial with excellent blood compatibility, biodegradable and low inflammatory reactions in a body. Recently, a new natural silk non-woven fabric was successfully fabricated with simple treatment (wet and hot press treatment) attracting researcher’s attention in medical and cosmetic applications. Although the mass production of new natural silk non-woven fabric was successfully done using an electric winder system, it is still necessary to reduce the production cost for various applications. In the present study, new silk non-woven fabrics were fabricated with new methods. Furthermore, the effect of sericin content on structural characteristics and mechanical properties of silk non-woven fabrics was examined. The sericin content in silk was diversely controlled by altering the degumming condition. As the sericin content in silk increased, the porosity, thickness, crystallinity, and elongation of the silk non-woven fabric decreased. On the other hand, the moisture regain and maximum stress increased as the sericin content increased. In addition, regardless of the sericin content, all silk non-woven fabrics showed an excellent cell viability.