Silk and Music: Visual and Auditory Experiences Interwoven with Cultures

Biao Yan

Article
2026 / Volume 9 / Pages 136-153
Received 25 September 2025; Accepted 27 October 2025; Published 23 January 2026
https://doi.org/10.31881/TLR.2026.136

Abstract
This study systematically investigates the acoustic properties of woven silk fabrics to establish a material science basis for their performance in functional applications. The sound absorption coefficients of textiles constructed from continuous-filament mulberry silk (charmeuse and gauze weaves) were quantitatively characterized and benchmarked against staple-fiber cotton and synthetic polyester fabrics. The research methodology combined standardized textile acoustic testing (ISO 10534-2, with a 50 mm air cavity) with perceptual evaluation in a semi-anechoic environment. Results demonstrate that the inherent fiber morphology and fabric construction of silk charmeuse yield superior sound absorption performance, particularly in the 1,000–4,000 Hz range—a key metric for functional acoustic textiles. This measured physical property was strongly correlated with psychoacoustic assessments, in which the silk fabric structure effectively mitigated high-frequency acoustic reflections. The findings provide a quantitative characterization of a natural protein fiber-based textile, demonstrating how its hierarchical structure, from fibroin polymer to final woven fabric, dictates its efficacy as a high-performance technical textile for specialized acoustic management.

Keywords
silk fabrics, acoustic properties, sound absorption, functional fabrics, natural fibers