Artificial silk: what is this material?

Silk is one of the most famous fabrics in the world. First of all, it is known for the fact that in ancient times silk was very expensive and was used only in the manufacture of clothes for the most noble and wealthy people. In honor of silk, they even named the largest trade route that passed from China, where this very silk was produced, to Europe and other parts of the world.

Now silk has become a common material that is available to everyone. A very strong influence on the availability of this fabric was the appearance of artificial silk, which is much cheaper than natural, but at the same time imitates it very well.

How and from what artificial silk is made

People learned to produce artificial silk at the end of the 19th century. Since then, the technology has improved and modernized due to the development of the chemical and textile industries.

The basis for artificial silk is still cellulose. It is extracted from wood, so we can safely say that rayon is an eco-friendly material. Often people think that since the fabric is artificial, it means that it is made entirely of synthetic materials, in the case of silk, this is not the case.

Synthetic materials are used in the production of rayon, but only a certain amount of synthetics is added in order to give the fabric the desired properties. The base always remains natural.

Types of artificial silk

Depending on the choice of initial raw materials and production technology, artificial silk can be different. Moreover, the result is influenced both by the choice of wood (different types of wood result in different materials), as well as the features of the technological process and synthetic additives to the material.

Viscose silk is perhaps the most famous type. This is the cheapest and easiest variant of artificial silk. It was created one of the first and therefore extremely widespread.

Lyocell - The pulp for this type of rayon is extracted from eucalyptus wood. At the same time, there are no harmful emissions during the production process, so this material is considered as environmentally friendly as possible.

Modal - for the production of this fabric, eucalyptus or beech wood is also taken. The result is a very thin, but durable material with a pleasant sheen.

Cupra - the name was formed due to the peculiarities of the production technology. The cellulose used to make cupra is soaked in a solution of copper sulphate and ammonia. The result is a fabric with a very smooth and shiny surface.

Synthetic silk is a variant of silk made entirely from synthetic polyester fibers. The material is thin, soft and very elastic, but it also has a number of disadvantages. It is electrified and puffs quickly appear on it.

Where can I buy artificial silk

We have connections with Chinese factories that produce high-quality rayon and will help to establish regular supplies of this material. All suppliers are verified, we have been working with them for a long time, so you will be sure of their reliability.

For all questions, please contact us by phone or e-mail.