Structural characteristics of silk fibers treated with epoxides

Structural characteristics of the silk fibroin fiber‐modified with epoxide treatment were elucidated by refractive index measurement, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermomechanical analysis and on the basis of strength–elongation measurements. The four epoxides used were glycidol (G), ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (E), tolyl glycidyl ether (T), and resorcinol diglycidyl ether (R). The values of the isotropic refractive index of the silk fiber increased by the action of T or R. The position of the endothermic peak attributed to the thermal decomposition and the position of the onset of the contraction of each of the samples treated with epoxides shifted to higher temperature, suggesting the more thermal stability. However, the values of the molecular orientation and the crystallinity of the specimen evaluated from X‐ray diffraction analysis remained unchanged regardless of the epoxide treatment. These experimental results have been interpreted in terms of the cross‐links between the adjacent silk fibroin molecules and of the hydrogen bonds between the hydroxyl groups of the epoxide molecules attached to the side chains of the silk fibroin.