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How To Dress Well: Accessories Of Dress - Jewelry Birth Stones Accessories Of Dress - Fans Accessories Of Dress - Perfumes Accessories Of Dress - Artificial Flowers What You Should Know Of Fabrics Clothing Fabrics - Linens Clothing Fabrics - Silk Clothing Fabrics - Silk Terms Clothing Fabrics - Tests For Silk More Articles About Dressing Well |
( Originally Published 1924 ) Since wisdom in the selection of silks is a valu-able aid to the one who believes in economical efficiency, a few tests are given. Burning Test : Pure dye silk, whether fabric or thread, when burned leaves a crispy coal or ash. Weighting with sugar leaves an ash like burned sugar. Weighting with iron leaves a soft reddish ash. Weighting with tin leaves a firm black ash, resembling cloth or thread. Artificial silk, because it is made from a cotton or wood fiber, burns like vegetable fiber. In white, true silk will turn yellow if tested with nitric acid; but if artificial, it will not. Artificial silks have a tendency to dissolve or become weakened when boiled. Tests for Mixtures: In testing for silk and wool a sample is placed in cold concentrated hydrochloric acid from two to five minutes. Silk dissolves, but the wool is hardly affected. In testing for silk and cotton, a sample is boiled in caustic potash—which should be kept away from hands and clothing. The animal fiber will dissolve, leaving the cotton. |