Document Type
Dissertation
First Faculty Advisor
Yang, Hong
Keywords
Pyrolysis, Chinese Silk, "Silk Roads", Silk Degradation
Publisher
Bryant University
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to investigate the molecular constitution of silk and the specific causes of post-production degradation in silk material. This capstone project focused specifically on the conditions and degradation of ancient Chinese silk products provided by the Chinese National Silk Museum. Modern silk products were artificially degraded and compared to the ancient silk using Py-GC-MS and comparative analytic techniques. This investigation revealed that the ancient silk products most likely underwent degradation in elevated temperatures while in the presence of moisture and the absence of sunlight or UV radiation during long term burial.
Included in
Art and Materials Conservation Commons, Environmental Chemistry Commons, Other Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons
