Silk fabric was finished using acrylic acid ( AA) as the finishing agent in the presence of sodium citrate and potassium per oxodisulphate catalysts separately or in selected combinations employing a pad-dry-cure technique. Treatment with 6% AA at 30 degrees C and at pH 7 produced optimum effects; a batching time of 45-60 min at 30 degrees C, followed by drying of the batched fabric at 95 degrees C for 5 min and curing of the dried fabric at 140 degrees C for 5 min produced most balanced improvements in the properties such as wrinkle recovery, extensibility, and moisture regain with retention of more than 80% of original strength. Sodium citrate catalyst allowed esterification of AA with proteineous constituent of silk and potassium per sulfate catalyst allowed radical polymerization of free AA or silk bound AA moieties; the said process ultimately led to some degree of crosslinking of the chain polymers of silk. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 121: 770-776, 2011