If we add water to this
thick liquid, a clear solution is obtained, and then on adding tannic
acid the fibroin is precipitated. Strong caustic potash or soda
dissolves silk; more easily if warm. Dilute caustic alkalis, if
sufficiently dilute, will dissolve off the sericin and leave the inner
fibre of fibroin; but they are not so good for ungumming silk as soap
solutions are, as the fibre after treatment with them is deficient in
whiteness and brilliancy. Silk dissolves completely in hot basic zinc
chloride solution, and also in an alkaline solution of copper and
glycerin, which solutions do not dissolve vegetable fibres or wool.
Chlorine and bleaching-powder solutions soon attack and destroy silk,
and so another and milder agent, namely, sulphurous acid, is used to
bleach this fibre. Silk is easily dyed by the aniline and coal-tar
colours, and with beautiful effect, but it has little attraction for the
mineral colours.
_Wool_.--Next to silk as an animal fibre we come to wool and different
varieties of fur and hair covering certain classes of animals, such as
sheep, goats, rabbits, and hares.
Pages:
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26