20.500.12556/RUL-161587 Investigation of the structural changes in silk due to tin weighting n the 19th century, the weighting of silk with metal salts, such as tin, was a common practice to enhance certain properties of silk fabrics and compensate for the weight loss incurred during the degumming process. This technique induces both physical and chemical modifications to the fibres, contributing to their long-term degradation, which requires thorough investigation. This study aims to examine the structural changes in silk fibres caused by the accumulation of metal salts from the tin-weighting process, using mock-up samples prepared through successive loading with weighting agents using a traditional tin-phosphate treatment method. Unweighted and tin-weighted silk samples were compared using scanning electron (SEM) micrographs, which presented the dispersed nanoparticles on the fibres, while through energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) elemental mapping, the presence and uniform distribution of the weighting agents were confirmed. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed structural changes in tin-weighted silk samples compared to untreated ones, including shifts in amide bands, altered water/hydroxyl and skeletal stretching regions, and increased skeletal band intensities suggesting modifications in hydrogen bonding, β-sheet content, and structural disorder without significantly impacting the overall crystallinity index. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of both pristine and tin-weighted silk samples revealed significant alterations, predominantly in the amorphous regions of the silk upon weighting. These structural changes were further examined using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SWAXS), which provided detailed insights into modifications occurring at the nanometre scale. The analyses suggested disruptions in β-sheet crystals and intermolecular packing, especially in the amorphous regions, with increasing amounts of tin-weighting. Contact angle analysis (CA) revealed that the tin-phosphate-weighting process significantly impacted silk surface properties, transforming it from moderately hydrophobic to highly hydrophilic. These changes indicate that the incorporation of tin-phosphate nanoparticles on and within silk fibres could restrict the flexibility of polymer chains, impacting the physical properties and potentially the degradation behaviour of silk textiles. By studying these structural changes, we aim to deepen our understanding of how tin-weighting impacts silk fibre structure, contributing valuable insights into the longevity, conservation, and preservation strategies of silk textiles in the context of cultural heritage. silk tin-weighting structural changes X-ray analysis IR spectroscopy svila obtežitev kositra strukturne spremembe rentgenska analiza IR spektroskopija true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2024-09-12 12:43:28 2024-09-12 12:43:28 2024-09-14 03:37:01 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2024 0 0 15 str. iss. 17, art. 2481 Vol. 16 Sep. 2024 0000-00-00 NiDoloceno NiDoloceno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 543.42:677.37 2073-4360 10.3390/polym16172481 206222851 RAZ_Elrefaey_Ibrahim_2024.pdf RAZ_Elrefaey_Ibrahim_2024.pdf 1 975BCCE640D5A9A6D81E1EB928BB99ED e33712eab5c1ddd19fabf5fd6056d6367ded6c77bd822ca7ba476f407c69af61 e123be42-70f5-11ef-b232-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=190547 https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/16/17/2481 1 cafbf7de-70f3-11ef-b232-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=190546 Fakulteta za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo 0 0 0