Researchers at Tohoku University in Japan have developed a “super silk” by adding plant-derived cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) to the feed of silkworms as they spin, producing silk fibers that are 50% stronger in tensile strength and shrink to less than 25% of the rate of untreated silk when wet, all without the toxic chemical treatments typically used to stabilize silk’s dimensions.

The improvement held up even after the enhanced silk was processed into yarn and woven into fabric, suggesting the technique could scale into practical textile manufacturing rather than remaining a laboratory curiosity.

“Silk is not just for fashion… it is also used in a plethora of different industries… for example, silk can be used in a medical setting as surgical sutures or a biomaterial to promote wound healing,” said Associate Professor Hiroki Kurita.

“Our goal was to improve silk while preserving its natural advantages… We hope this sustainable approach will contribute to the development of next-generation functional textiles,” Kurita said.

Journal: Journal of Industrial Textiles
DOI: 10.1177/15280837261463657
Article Title: Tensile Properties and Dimensional Stability of Cellulose Nanofiber-Reinforced Silk Fabrics by Silkworm Feeding
Publication Date: 25-Jun-2026

Source: EurekAlert