Eco-friendly Textile

Processing
By
Dr Nagender Singh
Introduction
Cont..
Cont…

• The enzyme term was originated from the Greek word enzume meaning
“in (en) yeast (zume)” and the term enzyme was introduced by Kirchoff in
1811 [4]. It is considered that the first purified and crystallized enzyme was
prepared in 1926 by James Summer of Cornell University.
• It loops and folds by itself into secondary, tertiary and often quaternary
structures, exposing its complementary surface to the substrate with which
it is expected to react.
• Enzymes act as highly efficient catalysts, which help in accelerating the
chemical reaction.
Role of Enzymes in the Textile Processing
• Introduction of enzymes in textile processing has great potential to reduce
environmental issues associated with chemicals.
• Bio-desizing of cotton is the classic example of an application of enzyme in textile
processing.
• In the early 1950s, amylase enzyme was the first microbial enzyme introduced by
Novo Nordisk.
• Various enzymes-based systems have been well-established in the textile industry.
• Amylases for the de-sizing of cotton,
• Cellulases for the bio-finishing of cellulosic textile,
• Catalases for the peroxide neutralisation, and
• Proteases for the degumming of silk as well as anti-pilling and softening of wool.
• The enzymes like xylanase, pectinase or hemicellulases are extensively used for
the retting of bast fibres (jute, flax, ramie).
Enzyme classification
• The enzymes classified by the
International Biochemical Union, provides
every enzyme an “Enzyme Commission
(EC) number” with 4 digits.
• The enzymes are categorized into 6
classes.
• Based on the degree of specificity to
catalyse a particular reaction and the
reaction methodology. The enzymes are
then numbered with 4 digits.
Cont…

• Classification of enzymes • The enzymes numbers with 4 digits

as a class and sub-class
EC
Reaction methodology
number Digits Enzyme Class
Oxidoreductase (oxidation or 1st Class
EC 1
reduction of substrates) 2nd and 3rd Sub-class
Transferase (group transfer 4th Order number in the sub-class
EC 2
reaction)
Hydrolase (bond breakage, splitting
EC 3
of the substrate)
Lyase (removes a group from
EC 4
substrate)
Isomerase (bring about intra-
EC 5
molecular rearrangement)
EC 6 Ligase (joining of 2 molecules)
Enzyme working mechanism
• The enzyme-catalyzed biochemical reaction, starts with binding of the active site
of the enzyme to the substrate, followed by a change in the electron distribution
in the chemical bonds of the substrate, which ultimately results in the reaction
that leads to the development of products.
• Then the developed products are liberated from the enzyme to regenerate the
enzyme for another biochemical reaction cycle.
• Enzymes show the maximum performance at an optimized reaction condition.
• The reaction rate increases with increasing temperature and the activity
decrease sharply above the optimum value until a point where they become
permanently deactivated.
 Lock and Key Model
• The enzymes exhibit a high degree of specificity to
the substances they react with.
• This is due to the shape of the enzyme fitting the
shape of the substrate, similar to how a lock only
fits a specific key. Using this analogy, the enzyme
represents the lock, and the substrate represents
the key.
• The order in which the lock and key model works is
as follows:
• The substrate(s) bind to the enzyme at the
active site, forming an enzyme-substrate
complex.
• The enzyme facilitates the chemical reaction.
This reaction can be a synthesis reaction
(building by forming bonds) or digestion
(breaking bonds to form new substances).
• The enzyme releases the product(s) of the
reaction. Once an enzyme completes a
reaction, it can be reused.
 Induced Fit Theory

• The active site is shaped similarly enough and has

specific chemical properties that attract a substrate to
bind. Once the substrate binds, the active site is
induced, or prompted, to change shape. This results in
a more precise fit.
• The Induced Fit model better explains the
phenomenon of more than one type of substrate
binding and reacting to an enzyme when similarly
structured.
• The induced fit model of enzyme action, in which the
active site changes shape after the substrate binds.
• The Induced Fit model is similar to the Lock and Key
model. The order in which a reaction takes place is the
same:
 Various types of
enzyme used in
textile processing
Enzymes Application Benefit
Amylase De-sizing of cotton • Improves speed, economics and consistency of the process.
• Use of thermostable enzyme, characterization of the process, etc are recent developments in the amylase
applications.
Cellulase Bio-polishing and Bio- • Removes surface fuzz (protruding fibres), surface pills (balls of entangled fibres) from cotton and viscose
fading fabrics.
• Imparts cleaner, softer, smoother look and feel.
• Provides effective colour fading of denim. Replaces pumice stone used to get characteristic abraded,
faded appearance.
Catalase Neutralizes hydrogen • Quenches residual peroxide.
peroxide • Reactive dyes are especially sensitive to peroxides and require extended rinsing and/or use of chemical
scavengers.
Pectinase Carbonization of wool, • Degrades vegetable matter in wool.
Scouring of cotton and • Replaces conventional treatment using a strong acid, followed by mechanical crushing.
Retting of flax • Removes pectineous impurities from cotton and enhances absorbency.
• Achieves rapid and uniform retting and avoids the risk of bacterial or fungal contamination which tends to
occur in case of dew and water retting.
Laccase Denim finishing • Decolourises indigo dyestuff and enhances the apparent abrasion effect with little or no impact on
cellulosic fibre strength.
Lipase De-sizing • Removes triglyceride-based (lipid) size lubricants from fabrics.
Protease Wool finishing and Silk • Induces sand-washed effect on silk garments.
degumming • Enhances comfort (reduced prickle, greater softness), improves the surface appearance and pilling
performance.
Xylanase Scouring and • Removes wax, colour, residual seed coatings, etc which otherwise inhibits the natural absorbency of the
bleaching fibre and prevents subsequent dyeing, printing or other finishing of cotton yarns and fabrics.
 Advantage and disadvantage of enzymes
Advantages
Enhance the rate of chemical reactions
Reduce impact on polluting solid waste, liquid
effluent, and gaseous emission
Ensure bio-degradable characteristics and save
the environment
Save water, energy, and time
Minimize effluent load in terms of BOD, COD and Many enzymes get affected by ionic nature
TDS
Work under specific process conditions such as
pH and temperature
Disadvantages
Active over a narrow range of temperature and
pH
Work until get deactivated
Once destroyed, cannot be reactivated
Certain antiseptics, acids and alkalis tend to
hamper the enzyme activity
Certain enzymes may cause respiratory problems
and skin and eyes irritation
(cationic or anionic) of other chemicals
Heavy metal ions tend to deactivate enzymes
Basic principle of enzymatic reaction in
desizing
 Cont…

• Degradation of starch to water-

soluble compounds:
• α-Amylases attack randomly on
the cleavage of 1,4-glucosidic
linkage while β-amylases release
maltose by stepwise hydrolysis
and Amyloglucosidase split both
amylopectin and amylase through
stepwise hydrolysis which
removes D-glucose from the non-
reducing end.

The hydrolysis of starch to glucose is catalyzed by alpha-

amylase and amyloglucosidase
 Mode of action of the main pectolytic enzymes
The key to efficient scouring lies in the removal of the waxes contained in the layer
of cuticle, thus allowing access of treatment liquor to the primary wall containing
noncellulosic compounds.

Noncellulosic and cellulosic component interactions in the

primary wall of cotton hair
Cont…

• The pectinase enzyme catalyzes 1,4-alpha-

D-galactosiduronic linkages by random
hydrolysis in pectin. Protopectinase,
Pectinesterases, Polygalacturonases, and
Pectin lyases are the four types of enzymes
used to hydrolyze the pectin substances.
• The bio-scouring process removes pectin
from cotton and helps loosen out other
impurities like wax, which subsequently
gets removed during washing.

Mode of action of the main pectolytic enzymes

 Mechanism of cellulase on cellulose

Bio-Polishing
• The surface appearance and
feel of cotton fabric depend
on the extent of surface fuzz
and loosely held fibres.
• The removal of such surface
hairiness is essential to
enhance the aesthetic appeal Commercially cellulase is the mixture of cellobiases,
of the textile material. endoglucanses and cellobiohydrolases. Endoglucanases attack
• This is achieved by the cellulose randomly and hydrolyze internal glycosidic bonds, and
enzymatic bio-polishing the cellobiohydrolases remove terminal cellobiose residues
treatment using cellulase from both cellulosic chain ends while cellobiases hydrolyse
enzyme. small cellobiose to glucose.
 The cellulase mixture works synergistically, where
endoglucanase successfully opens up fibre structure to attack
by cellobiohydrolase and β-glucanase, which results in a
reduction of fibre strength

Mechanism of cellulase on cellulose

 • Enzymatic removal of the surface fibre fuzz is
wash durable, and it enhances dyeability,
drapeability and hand-feel of cotton.
Benefits of • The significant benefits of cellulose-based
enzymatic bio-polishing are
enzymatic • Prevents pills formation
Bio-Polishing • Increases smoothness and softness
• Increases lustre and colour brightness
• Improves handle and drapability