The Silk Textile Embedded in Silk Fibroin Composite: Preparation and Properties

Silk reinforced silk-fibroin-based composites were prepared by embedding of silk textile into regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) matrix. The breaking stress and breaking strain of the composites were found 37.7 MPa and 71.1% respectively at (95 ± 5)% RH. Morphological analysis was carried out to observe fracture behavior of the samples. The in vitro biodegradation test showed that the composite degraded slowly and lost 70% weight at the end of 168 h. Moreover, compared with RSF pure film, the composite kept strength and toughness much longer time. In conclusion, this composite has the potential for more accurate cytology research and biomedical tests in the future.