蚕丝非织造材料的发展现状与展望.

Silk, as a natural protein fiber, is a crucial raw material for high-grade textile products due to its exceptional breathability, moisture permeability, and biocompatibility. Moreover, silk possesses delicate luster and a soft feel that are adored by people worldwide, earning it the title of “queen of fibers”. However, the yield of silk is heavily influenced by cocoon quality, and only approximately 20% of cocoons can be transformed into pure silk fibers. Traditional silk processing generates an alarming waste amounting to 55% due to this limitation. To enhance silk utilization efficiency and fully exploit its value, numerous researchers have employed nonwoven processing technology in silk production. The resulting nonwovens not only significantly improve the utilization rate but also offer advantages such as high production efficiency and low cost while harnessing the excellent performance characteristics of silk. The common nonwoven process mainly consists of two processes: mesh formation and reinforcement. The main methods of mesh formation include dry-laid nonwoven, wet-laid nonwoven, and electrostatic spinning method. Reinforcement methods include needling, hydroentanglement, chemical bonding, and thermal bonding. Silk nonwovens can be obtained through these processes. This paper provides a systematic summary of the production process and product characteristics of silk nonwovens. Silk nonwovens manufactured by needle reinforcement in dry-laid processing involve inserting hooked spines into the fiber mesh repeatedly to form physical entanglement. It offers advantages such as permeability, good mechanical properties and high production efficiency, making it suitable for thermal materials, filter materials and bedding products. Dry-laid hydroentangled nonwovens are achieved by using high-pressure water flow and reflection flow to intertwine the fiber mesh. It possesses characteristics like good air permeability and soft feel without damaging the fibers. This method is suitable for medical protective materials and health materials. The dry-laid silk nonwovens reinforced by chemical method, thermal bonding method and wet-laid silk nonwovens are seldom used at present. Electrospinning is a method in which polymer melt/solution is stretched into fiber mesh under the action of high voltage electrostatic field. The resulting regenerated silk fibroin fiber has the advantages of small diameter, large specific surface area and good filtration performance, and can be used in various high-end medical materials and tissue engineering materials, but there are difficulties in industrialization. When the material cannot meet the performance requirements, the method of post-finishing is often used to improve the performance or aesthetics of nonwovens to meet the requirements of different uses of products. In practical applications, different fields have different performance requirements for nonwovens. Nonwovens used in sanitary products require antibacterial properties and hydrophilic properties. Nonwovens for medical protection require water, blood, alcohol, and static resistance. Hydrophilic finishing, antibacterial finishing, flame retardant finishing, UV resistant finishing and other finishing methods are commonly used to improve the performance of silk nonwovens. Because of the biocompatibility, biodegradability, richness in amino acids, hand feel, and mild luster of silk fiber, silk nonwoven materials can be widely used in beauty, medical health, tissue engineering, insulation and other fields. The utilization of nonwoven technology in silk fiber production offers a novel approach to fully harnessing the potential of silk fibers, expanding their application scope, and driving their adoption across diverse fields. Blending silk with other materials addresses issues such as low wear resistance and susceptibility to creasing, while also enhancing various properties of silk. Simultaneously, multifunctional and high-performance modifications enable tailored enhancements for specific applications, thereby facilitating the broader implementation of silk nonwovens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]