Abstract
Silk fibroin was dissolved in 9.3 M LiBr aqueous solution at 4$0^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour. The dissolved silk fibroin was regenerated by casting the dialyzed solution into the membrane. The freshly prepared silk fibroin membrane was soluble in water and was. mainly consisted of random coil conformation. By the treatments in saturated water vapor at 3$0^{\circ}C$ and in 75% ethanolic aqueous solution (V/V), the insoluble membranes were obtained and the structure and morphology of those were investigated for the structure by means of X-ray diffraction analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis. Rheovibron and scanning electron micrograph. Silk II type crystals were obtained by treating amorphous silk fibroin membrane in the random coil conformtion with 75% ethanol solution(V/V). Crystallization to silk II type crystals occured even after a few minutes, and a large number of silk II type crystals were formed after 30 mins. On the other and, the membrane treated in saturated water vapor was composed of the mixtures of silk I and silk II type crystals. A large number of silk I and silk II type crystals were formed after 24 hours. The micro brownian motion in the amorphous regions of silk fibroin membrane started at about 175~185$^{\circ}C$. $\alpha$ dispersion appeared at about 20$0^{\circ}C$ in the amorphous membrane, and at about 22$0^{\circ}C$ in the crystalline membrane. The crystallization of random coil conformation to silkII type crystals occured at about 215$^{\circ}C$. The surface, bottom and cross-section of the membranes were observed by scanning electrom microscope. Fine forms alike spherulites appeared at the surface of crystalline membrane.