Tensile Properties of Different Silkworm Silk Fibers

Abstract

Mechanical properties of two different types of silkworm silk fibers under three conditions: (i) Bombyx mori; (ii) twisted Bombyx mori; and (iii) Tussah silk fibers were under investigations. The values of ultimate tensile strength, elongation at break and Young’s modulus were examined by performing tensile test on single bave. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the morphologies of the two different types of silk fibers, and measure their general diameters so as to determine the cross-sectional area of the two different types of silk fibers and convert the experimental load-extension data into stress-strain data accordingly.