Silk/Rayon Webs and Nonwoven Fabrics: Fabrication, Structural Characteristics, and Properties

Silk is a naturally occurring material and has been widely used in biomedical and cosmetic applications owing to its unique properties, including blood compatibility, excellent cytocompatibility, and a low inflammatory response in the body. A natural silk nonwoven fabric with good mechanical properties was recently developed using the binding property of sericin. In this study, silk/rayon composite nonwoven fabrics were developed to increase productivity and decrease production costs, and the effect of the silk/rayon composition on the structure and properties of the fabric was examined. The crystalline structure of silk and rayon was maintained in the fabric. As the silk content increased, the porosity and moisture regain of the silk/rayon web and nonwoven fabric decreased. As the silk content increased, the maximum stress of the web and nonwoven fabric increased, and the elongation decreased. Furthermore, the silk/rayon web exhibited the highest values of maximum stress and elongation at similar to 200 degrees C. Regardless of the silk/rayon composition, all silk/rayon nonwoven fabrics showed good cytocompatibility. Thus, the silk/rayon fabric is a promising material for cosmetic and biomedical applications owing to its diverse properties and high cell viability.

Automated summary

Silk, a naturally occurring material, is widely used in biomedical and cosmetic applications. A silk nonwoven fabric with good mechanical properties was developed using sericin binding property. Silk/rayon composite nonwoven fabrics were developed to increase productivity and decrease production costs. The results showed that as the silk content increased, the fabric had decreased porosity and moisture regain, increased maximum stress and decreased elongation. Regardless of the composition, all silk/rayon nonwoven fabrics showed good cytocompatibility, making them promising materials for cosmetic and biomedical applications.