Silk was discovered over five thousand years ago in China. In Europe, it was brought into fashion by the Marquis de Pompadour. This unique material, made from threads woven by silkworms, is considered the softest and most delicate, but at the same time the most durable. However, natural silk is quite expensive, so there is an artificial analogue of it. And it doesn't have all the properties of real silk. How to distinguish between natural and artificial silk?
Instructions
Step 1
Connoisseurs can distinguish natural from artificial silk even by touch. Natural fabric is so delicate and soft that having felt it on the skin once, it is impossible to forget this feeling. In addition, real silk heats up quickly and retains heat for a long time, and shimmers in different shades in the sun, while its artificial counterpart simply shines under the rays of light, but does not retain heat.
Step 2
If you don't rely on visual and tactile sensations, an experiment can be done. Pull a few strands out of the fabric you are in doubt and bring a lighter to them. If you have natural silk in front of you, then when burned, it will smell of wool or burnt horn, burnt hair. And when only a caked lump remains in your hands, you can grind it into dust in your fingers, like simple coal. If you burned the polyester strands, they will simply melt, and the viscose will smolder and smell like burnt paper.
Step 3
You can try to tear the fabric by dampening it with water. If the silk is artificial, it will tear quite easily, and crumble into individual fibers. Natural, however, will be much more difficult to break, and if it works out, the threads will break evenly and will not crumble.
Step 4
Also, when determining the naturalness of silk, you need to carefully look at the structure of the fabric. Polyester usually has a perfect structure, while real silk usually has irregularities and imperfections.
Step 5
An important factor is the price. Real material is expensive. And the merchant (if you buy silk on the market) will not make significant discounts, because the production of such fabric is a complex and costly process. And the price of artificial silk can be brought down quite significantly if you bargain skillfully.
Step 6
The most reliable way to make sure that silk is natural is to dissolve it. Unfortunately, this test can only be performed by purchasing the material. Dissolve 16 grams of CuSO4 (copper sulfate) in 150 ml of room temperature water, add 10 grams of glycerin and a little caustic soda (NaOH) to make the solution absolutely clear. Dip a piece of fabric into the composition. Natural silk will dissolve without a trace, artificial silk will not.
