Studies on Tasar Cocoon Cooking Using Permeation Method

Abstract

Cocoon cooking is an important process before reeling of tasar silk yarn. Cooking ensures loosening of the filaments in the tasar cocoons thereby easing the process of yarn withdrawal during reeling process. Tasar cocoons have very hard shell and hence these cocoons need chemical cooking process to loosen the silk filaments. Attempt has been made in this article to study the effect of using vacuum permeation chamber for tasar cocoon cooking in order to reduce the cooking time and improve the quality of tasar silk yarn. Vacuum assisted permeation cooking method has been studied in this article on tasar daba cocoons for cooking efficiency, deflossing and reelability. Its efficiency has been evaluated with respect to different cooking methods viz, traditional and open pan cooking methods. The tasar silk produced after reeling process has been tested for fineness, strength and cohesion properties. Results indicate that permeation method of tasar cooking ensures uniform cooking with higher efficiency along with better reeling performance and improved yarn properties.