Artificial Silk

Although the silk-producing area of Japan was for the most part out of the zone devastated by the earthquake, about 25% of the silk-reeling plants of the country were reported as ruined, along with large stocks of silk burned in Tokyo and Yokohama. The industry in consequence faces a shortage of the raw material, accompanied ly uncertain prices on high levels.

This situation is expected to greatly favor the wider employment of artificial silk for some time, although the synthetic and manufactured product is not in all ways an acceptable substitute for the natural silk. Artificial silk is made mainly of either cotton linters or wood pulp, treated with picric acid; various secret processes give theresulting cellulose the required viscosity and sheen, by forcing it through tiny holes and spinning it—just the process of the silk worm when it spins its cocoon.

Last year the U. S. led the nations in the production of artificial silk.