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Method and Technology for Processing Waste Silk into Plastic Wrap

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The "National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Silk and Insect Agricultural Technology Research Institute of Japan" conducted "Research on the Development of Silk Fibrillation and Silk Paper for Packaging." Their fruit and vegetable plastic wrap made from silk as a raw material did indeed achieve certain results. Using inferior cocoons that cannot be reeled or waste silk as raw materials, through processes such as cocoon boiling and reduction treatment, they manually stretched and expanded the cocoon layers into silk strands, then after careful beating, cut the silk fibers to make silk pulp equivalent to papermaking raw material. This was mixed in equal halves with specially made regenerated cellulose, and processed in the manner of washi (Japanese paper) to produce

The "National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Silk and Insect Agricultural Technology Research Institute of Japan" conducted "Research on the Development of Silk Fibrillation and Silk Paper for Packaging." Their fruit and vegetable plastic wrap made from silk as a raw material did indeed achieve certain results. Using inferior cocoons that cannot be reeled or waste silk as raw materials, through processes such as cocoon boiling and reduction treatment, they manually stretched and expanded the cocoon layers into silk strands, then after careful beating, cut the silk fibers to make silk pulp equivalent to papermaking raw material. This was mixed in equal halves with specially made regenerated cellulose, and processed in the manner of washi (Japanese paper) to produce a plastic wrap combining silk and regenerated cellulose. The characteristics of this fresh-keeping material are: high strength, resistance to stretching, and through the absorption and release of moisture by the fruits and vegetables themselves, it regulates environmental humidity, thus effectively maintaining the freshness of agricultural products. According to their tests of the fresh-keeping effect, peeled potatoes were packaged with the silk and regenerated cellulose composite material and placed indoors at a temperature of 25°C and humidity of 21%, while another portion of potatoes was stored in a cold storage at a temperature of 3-4°C and humidity of 80-90%, with two test areas using no packaging and newspaper packaging as controls. After 3 days, the potatoes in the no-packaging area had completely turned black; in the newspaper-packaging test area, the potatoes began to turn black after 6 days; but in the packaging area using the silk and regenerated cellulose composite material, the degree of blackening was extremely small, and even after 10 days, no blackening or spoilage of the potatoes was found, with the same effect as storage in cold storage. The tests showed that to achieve optimal freshness preservation of fruits and vegetables, it is necessary to eliminate oxidation of the products and maintain appropriate moisture. When packaged with the silk and regenerated cellulose composite material, in a dry environment, it has good moisture retention, can suppress the evaporation of water from fruits and vegetables without causing them to dry out. In a humid environment, the silk and regenerated fiber composite material can also maintain appropriate moisture for the products without causing excessive water, thereby enabling fruits and vegetables to achieve the optimal state of neither drying out nor rotting and deteriorating.

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