Silkworms Munch Mulberries & Dye to Produce Naturally Flourescent Silk
Posted By Jessica Dailey On March 27, 2011 @ 10:45 am In Eco Textiles | 2 Comments
Current water-intensive practices for dyeing silk involve harsh toxic chemicals that can poison workers and the environment, but a group of scientists have created a method that could eliminate the dyeing process all together. Researchers from the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering [4] (IMRE) in Singapore found that by feeding silkworms a diet of mulberry leaves mixed with dye, the little buggers produce naturally colored silk. Not only is the method eco-friendly, but it drastically reduces the amount of water needed.
READ MORE > [5]
Article printed from Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building: http://inhabitat.com
URL to article: http://inhabitat.com/silkworms-munch-mulberries-dye-to-produce-naturally-flourescent-silk/
URLs in this post:
[1] Tweet: http://twitter.com/share
[2] Share on Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/share
[3] Email: mailto:?subject=http://inhabitat.com/silkworms-munch-mulberries-dye-to-produce-naturally-flourescent-silk/
[4] Institute of Materials Research and Engineering: http://www.imre.a-star.edu.sg/
[5] READ MORE >: http://www.ecouterre.com/new-silkworm-diet-naturally-dyes-silk-reduces-water-consumption/
Click here to print.