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Produced by: Agriculture and Consumer Protection Title: SILK REELING AND TESTING MANUAL... More details
5.1 Introduction
Cocoon cooking unwinds the cocoon filament spun by the silkworm. The sericin covering around the cocoon filament is agglutinated after silkworm spinning, then hardened through the cocoon drying process. In preparation for reeling, it should be softened. Processing softens sericin by heat, water and steam. Ideally there will be uniform softening of the outer and inner cocoon shell.
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is heated. When cocoons treated at high temperature permeation are moved into low temperature permeation around 65C, partial condensation occurs in the cocoon cavity. Then the cocoon sucks water in, evenly wetting all the layers of the shell. The amount of water permeated into the cocoon cavity is controlled by the difference in temperature between high temperature and low temperature permeation parts, as well as the air permeability of the cocoon shell.
Figure 10. Air expansion in cocoon cavity and partially replaced with steam at high temperature permeation part.
c) Steam cooking part Now the cocoons treated in steps a) and b) are moved to the steam processing. This part causes the sericin to swell and soften the silk layers and the steam to fill up the cocoon cavity by diffusing the permeated water out of the cocoon. Steam heat is a highly efficient head conductor that can cause unwanted sericin loss. To minimize or stop this loss of sericin, infra-read rays have been attempted in this process, but proven unfeasible. For cocoons anticipated having poor reelability, the steam cooking part has to be prolonged. Sudden variations in steam pressure can adversely affect the cooking process by producing over processed or insufficiently processed cocoons. These poorly cooked cocoons seriously deteriorate reeling efficiency by decreasing raw silk yield and quality and boosting cleanness defects during reeling. It is urged that greater vigilance be exercised to control steam cooking.
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d) Cooking adjustment part At this point the steam content of the cocoon cavity is replaced with water through gradual condensation of steam in the cocoon. This is effected by gradually cooling of the water from 98 to 65C. Sericin swollen by steam cooking becomes stable. As this step consumes large volumes of water for cocoon permeation, it needs to be longer in duration and requires more fresh water than other parts. e) Low temperature-finishing part Cocoons are finished in 50-60C water. Here, the cocoons, which were properly swollen by processing in the first five steps, become more stable and are prepared for the next stage in reeling.
Figure 12. Cocoon Cooking Machine 1.Cocoon hopper part, 2. Soaking part, 3. High temperature permeating part, 4. low temperature permeating part, 5. Cooking part, 6-7. Adjusting part, 8-9. Low temperature finishing part, 10. Cocoon outlet
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d.
e. f. g.
is grey-yellow. Cooked cocoon shell weight: five to six times as heavy as the original shell weight is desirable; 4.5 times or less is defined as under or imperfect cooking, while the overcooked cocoon weighs six times or more than the original. Cooked cocoon weight: 10-11 times the weight of the original dried cocoon. Conditions of cooked cocoons in basket: The cooked cocoons should easily drop out of the basket, when the baskets are opened at the end of the cooking process. Crushed cocoon: There are no crushed cocoons in optimum cooking. Table 16a. Criteria of insufficient and overcooking Items Colour and touch of cooked cocoons Conditions of groping ends Number of dropping ends in reeling process Increase of by-product silk Kinds of commonly occurring defects in raw silk Degumming ratio of raw silk Tangle of cooked cocoons Insufficient Creamy and rough Hard Increase Parchment layer Split ends and loop High Slight Overcooking Grey-yellowish and soft Not difficult Decrease Brushing waste Slug Low Heavy
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permeation) difference of temperature should be more, while steam pressure and temperature of steam cooking part should be lower Thin shell cocoon with high reelability Different of temperature part should be higher and steam pressure and temperature of steam cooking part lower Difference of temperature in pretreatment as well as steam pressure and temperature of steam cooking part should be more. Steam pressure and temperature of steam cooking part less Steam pressure and temperature of steam cooking part more
Table 18. Points for cooking operations Phenomena Crushed cocoons Counter measures Reduce the difference of temperature between high and low temperature permeation parts as well as steam cooking part and first cooking adjustment Lower the temperature of steam cooking and high temperature permeation parts Shorten the time for cooking Modify the quality of reeling water Increase gradually the temperature of steam cooking part Prolong the time for cooking Use the soluble type water for cooking instead of hard type one
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Overcooking
Insufficient cooking
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Floating cocoons
Make the temperature curve in cooking adjustment Increase the difference eof temperature between high and low temperature permeation parts Reduce the temperature of low temperature finishing part Increase the temperature of soaking part Check the steaming pipe in the high temperature permeation part Strict assorting of inferior cocoons
Uneven cooking
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