Abstract:

To study the structure and properties of cassava silk, the structure and properties of mulberry silk, tussah silk and cassava silk were compared by using scanning electron microscope. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, mechanical properties test and other test methods. The results show that the morphology surface of cassava silk is similar to tussah silk, and the surface of cassava silk has longitudinal stripes and blocks or granular crystals, and cassava silk has longitudinal stripes and blocks or granular crystals, and cross section thereof is relatively large and flat, while the surface of mulberry silk is smooth, and its cross section is round, cassava silk and tussah silk have Ala-Ala-Ala structure, but mulberry silk does not bave the structure, thus characteristic absorption peaks can be utilized to identify different types of silk; cassava silk has α-helical structure as well as β-sheet structure of high crystallinity; mulberry silk, tussah silk and cassava silk have line density of 3.13, 6.13 and 4.18 dtex, respectively; and the breaking strength and elongation at break of cassava silk are higher those of mulberry silk, but near to tussah silk, and cassava silk has mechanical properties superior to mulberry silk. 

Key words: mulberry silk, tussah silk, cassava silk, structure, property