Innovative transparent silk-melamine formaldehyde film with enhanced corrosion resistance and high tensile strength for surface decoration

Transparent films with reduced light reflection and excellent wear resistance are crucial for applications that require anti-reflective properties without causing environmental harm. However, the preparation process of conventional anti-reflective films is relatively complicated. This paper proposes a simple method to prepare transparent film based on silk fabrics and melamine formaldehyde (MF) resins. The silk fabric's lattice structure serves as a frame, while the MF resin provides transparency and corrosion resistance as a functional filler. The resulting composite films, produced via hot pressing, exhibit excellent tensile strength (up to 617.4 MPa), anti-abrasion properties, and improved flexibility compared to pure MF films. Importantly, these films achieve a high transmittance (>85%) and a significant haze (ranging from 71.8% to 94.9%), with the silk fiber content primarily influencing scattering and haze levels while minimally affecting light transmittance. Additionally, the films demonstrate good pollution resistance and environmental friendliness, allowing contaminants to be removed after 5 h, and exhibit a TVOC emission of <0.1 mg/m³. These findings indicate that the developed composite films are promising candidates for wood surface decoration and applications that benefit from haze, such as anti-glare products. This work not only provides a straightforward method for creating flexible, anti-reflective transparent films utilizing natural fibers but also contributes to advancing sustainable practices in material design.