silkeproduksjon

Silkeproduksjon, also known as sericulture, is the process of artificially breeding silkworms and raising them to produce silk. The primary species used for commercial silk production is the larva of the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori. The process begins with the silkworm eggs, which are hatched in controlled environments. Once hatched, the larvae are fed exclusively mulberry leaves, on which they feed voraciously and grow rapidly.

After approximately four to six weeks of feeding and molting several times, the silkworms spin cocoons around themselves. This cocoon is made of a single, continuous thread of raw silk, which can be up to 900 meters long. The silkworm secretes a liquid protein called fibroin, which hardens into silk upon contact with air. The cocoon is then typically subjected to heat, usually by boiling water, which kills the pupa inside and loosens the sericin, a gummy substance that binds the silk threads together.

The cocoons are then carefully unwound. This unwinding process, known as reeling, involves collecting the fine silk filaments from several cocoons and twisting them together to form a stronger thread. This raw silk is then further processed, including cleaning, dyeing, and weaving, to create various silk fabrics. While Bombyx mori is the most common, other species of silkworms also produce silk, leading to different types of silk with varying textures and qualities.