Artificial silk, real silk, and polyester silk, these three common "silk" in textile fabrics, although somewhat similar in appearance, have vastly different prices and properties. Many people often suffer losses when choosing due to difficulty in distinguishing. Next, we will delve into the similarities and differences between these types of "silk" to help you easily distinguish them.
1, Exploration of Artificial Silk
Artificial silk, a type of "silk" that occupies a place in textile fabrics, has significant differences in characteristics from real silk and polyester silk. This silk material is highly popular in the market due to its unique manufacturing process and price advantage. However, to truly understand artificial silk, we still need to delve into its properties and characteristics. Next, let's step into the world of synthetic silk together and see what sets it apart.
2, Comparison between artificial silk and real silk
Artificial silk, a highly anticipated "silk" in textile fabrics, has a shiny appearance but a slightly rough and hard feel, with a damp and cold feeling. When you release the artificial silk after gripping it tightly with your hand, you will find that it has many wrinkles, even if flattened, it can still leave obvious marks. In addition, if you wet knead the fabric, you will find that the artificial silk is easy to straighten but also easy to break, and the texture is broken. It is worth noting that the dry and wet elasticity of artificial silk is different.
In contrast, real silk exhibits completely different characteristics. Its luster is soft, the hand feel is soft and delicate, and the quality is extremely smooth. When two pieces of silk rub against each other, a special sound is produced, commonly known as "silk sound" or "silk sound". After gripping the silk tightly with your hand and releasing it, its wrinkles are few and not obvious. It is worth mentioning that the dry and wet elasticity of silk remains consistent.
Real silk with strong reflectivity, high rigidity, rapid rebound, and stiffness is not only known for its excellent wrinkle resistance, but also for its sturdy and powerful characteristics, making it difficult to break.
Silk, usually referring to silk, has a wide variety of types, such as mulberry silk, oak silk, castor silk, and cassava silk. To verify the authenticity of silk fabrics, the following methods can be mastered.
3, Identify by product number
When identifying silk fabrics, the first step is to use the product identification method. By checking the product number of the fabric, its composition and quality can be preliminarily determined. However, it should be noted that the product identification method is not absolutely reliable, as there may be counterfeit product numbers in the market. Therefore, when using this method, it is necessary to combine other identification methods for comprehensive judgment.
Domestic silk adopts a unified product number system, which consists of 5 Arabic numerals. Among these 5 digits, the leftmost digit represents the material number of the fabric. Specifically, "1" represents pure silk fabric, which includes mulberry silk and spun silk; '2' represents synthetic fabrics; 3 "represents blended fabric; 4 "refers to tussah silk fabric; And "5" refers to synthetic silk fabric. By examining these product numbers, the main components and characteristics of the fabric can be preliminarily determined. However, it should be noted that there may be counterfeit product numbers in the market, so in practical applications, it is necessary to combine other identification methods for comprehensive judgment.
4, Price discrimination method
By observing and comparing the prices of different silk fabrics, one can also make a preliminary judgment on their quality. Generally speaking, the price of pure silk fabric (item "1") is relatively high, while the price of synthetic fabric (item "2") and blended fabric (item "3") is relatively low. Of course, price is not the only criterion, and other factors such as product number, texture, glossiness, etc. need to be considered comprehensively in order to more accurately judge the quality of silk.
The price of real silk fabric is about twice that of synthetic and synthetic silk satin. This is because the raw material cost, production process, and product quality of silk are relatively high, so its price is also relatively expensive. However, despite its high price, the glossiness, hand feel, and durability of silk fabrics often provide a more outstanding experience in practical use.
5, Identify by gloss and tactile sensation
Spread the sample flat and carefully observe its appearance characteristics. Silk has unique light absorption properties, with a smooth surface without producing a mirror effect, displaying an elegant and soft luster, shining like pearls. At the same time, the hand feel of real silk is also quite soft and elegant, with tight threads that can cause wrinkles when lightly grasped by hand. It is worth mentioning that silk with higher purity and density often has a better hand feel. In contrast, although the simulated silk feels soft after being degummed, the silk surface appears dull and lacks a pearl like luster. And synthetic fabrics present a bright and dazzling luster, with a relatively stiff feel. In addition, genuine silk products should have a slight scraping feel. If two layers of fabric are rubbed, a unique "silk sound" will be produced, which is not present in other raw materials fabrics.
6, Combustion identification method
By burning, silk can be further distinguished from imitation silk and synthetic fabrics. When silk burns, it will first curl into a ball, and then gradually transform into a grayish black color, accompanied by the smell of burning feathers. However, the phenomenon of imitation silk and synthetic fabrics burning is vastly different. For example, after burning, the simulated silk will gradually harden and form black hard blocks; And synthetic fabrics will produce bright flames accompanied by a pungent odor. By these obvious differences, we can easily distinguish the difference between real silk and other fiber fabrics.
Extracting a portion of the yarn for combustion testing can provide a clearer observation of the reactions of different fibers. When silk burns, it does not produce an open flame, but emits a burnt smell of burning hair. The ashes after burning are in the form of black particles, which can be easily crushed into powder with a gentle pinch of the hand. In contrast, the simulated filament will quickly catch fire upon encountering a flame, accompanied by the smell of plastic burning. After the fire is extinguished, hard adhesive blocks will be left at its edges.
The shrinkage rate of real silk is relatively high, so when choosing finished products, it is recommended to choose specifications slightly larger than the actual demand. If it is a fabric, it needs to be soaked in clean water for more than 5 hours before production. After the fabric has fully absorbed moisture, it should be dried and then soaked and dried again. This way, the treated silk fabric can be washed freely without deformation after being made into clothes.
Polyester yarn is favored for its excellent chemical stability and washability, which can effectively reduce the problems of clothing fading and decolorization. Therefore, hotel uniforms, stone blue denim clothing, sportswear, and children's clothing are mostly made of polyester silk. Compared to artificial silk, polyester silk has higher toughness and can withstand the tensile force of high-speed machine operation. At the same time, its fire resistance is also extremely excellent, making it difficult for clothes to catch fire even when they are close to flames.
Artificial silk has a bright luster and a slightly rough and hard texture, with a damp and cold feeling. After gripping and releasing with your hand, there will be many wrinkles, and even after flattening, there will still be marks left. If the tongue is wet kneaded with cloth, the artificial silk is easy to straighten and break, and the elasticity is inconsistent when dry and wet.