What Is Mulberry Silk- Jiaxing Zhongfang Textile Technology Co., Ltd.

What Is Mulberry Silk?

Mulberry silk has its history in China, where local farmers grow Mulberry trees and harvest the leaves for silkworms to feed on. Mulberry silk is a fabric made from cocoons of domesticated silkworms. The silkworms are the caterpillar form of the moth. They only eat mulberry leaves, hence the name mulberry silk.

Farmers pick the mulberry leaves.

The white caterpillars feed on fresh mulberry leaves

Cocoons of silkworms

How Is Mulberry Silk Made?

There are two main ways to make silk fabrics.

1. The traditional way is to harvest the natural filament from the cocoons of silkworms. This leaves the silk strand undamaged and gives you a much longer fiber to work with. Manufacturers who use this method will typically boil the cocoons, which kills the moths. Then, they brush the outside of the cocoon until they find the end of the fiber and unravel the cocoon.

2. The other way of harvesting the silk is called Ahimsa, or Peace silk. In this method, manufacturers wait until the silkworm matures and makes a hole in the cocoon to emerge as a moth. The hole breaks the silk strand into several pieces of various lengths, but it doesn’t harm the moth.

Once the cocoon is unraveled, manufacturers weave the strands into the fabric one way or the other. There are a variety of weaving techniques that manufacturers can use with these fibers. Mulberry silk refers more to the type of fiber than the weaving technique.

The Benefits of Using Mulberry Silk

Mulberry silk stands out among other silks for its smooth texture, durability, and elegant, gorgeous hypoallergenic qualities. The smoothness and softness come from the long, uniform length of the individual fibers which make the surface of the finished fabric smoother.

Silk is the only natural filament fiber. Individual filament fibers are continuous lengths.

The durability comes from the strength of the cocoon fibers and their natural protective qualities. The characteristics that keep the moth safe also benefit humans who use the fibers. Each silk strand has the same tensile strength as the steel of the same size and weight.

In addition to its strength, the cocoon silk is antimicrobial and antifungal, so the fabric will stay fresher for longer. The protein in the fiber is biocompatible with humans, meaning it rarely causes irritation or allergic reaction. This makes mulberry silk a perfect option if you have sensitive skin or are allergy-prone.