What Are The Advantages Of Using Enzymes In Textile Desizing?
 20 January 2023

A desizing enzyme is a substance created through the fermentation of starch enzymes and other useful chemicals by microbes. When used in the textile business, it aids in the breakdown of the starch in the fabric size into oligosaccharides and short-chain dextrin, making it very simple to remove during the final treatment process. Cotton, silk, Vinyl on, viscose fiber, mixed fabric, yarn-dyed poplin, and chemical fibre blended fabric can all be treated with desizing enzymes. When we talk about Textile enzymes, Amylase is a crucial enzyme for thetextile industry It is mostly used in the Desizing process. The Desizing Process in the Textile Industry, Enzymatic Desizing, and the Benefits of Using Enzymes in the Textile Industry will now be discussed.

Textile Desizing Procedure

The fibres must be sized before weaving to increase fastness. Size removal is necessary for cloth dyeing, bleaching, and printing procedures. The quality of finished products, including hand feel, whiteness, smoothness, colour content, and strength is directly impacted by desizing. Nowadays, most size fabrics with starch paste, and there are many ways to desize them, including using caustic soda, sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide, etc. However, these chemical products not only harm the fabric and cause problems with operation, but they also contaminate the environment. Thus, after the liquefaction of soluble dextrin is washed with washing, the starch pulp can quickly form dextrin employing the desizing enzyme in specific circumstances.

Enzymatic Desizing:

One of the most significant and popular types of desizing is enzymatic desizing. The degradation of starch size on cotton fibres is known as enzymatic desizing. Enzymes are intricate organic biocatalysts that are soluble and generated by living things that speed up chemical reactions in biological processes. Enzymes act on a certain substance in a very specific way. A small amount of an enzyme can break down a lot of the chemicals it reacts with. Enzymes are commonly named after the type of chemical that is broken down during the reaction they catalyse. In a standard enzyme desizing procedure, the grey cloth is first pre-washed at 90°C with 0.5 g/l of a non-ionic wetting agent.

The enzymes known as amylases hydrolyze and lower the molecular weight of the amylose and amylopectin molecules in starch, making them water-soluble and able to be removed from fabrics. Amylase enzymes work as powerful catalysts to break down the amylose and amylopectin molecules in starch.

The strict control of pH, temperature, water hardness, electrolyte addition, and surfactant selection is necessary for efficient enzymatic desizing. At 65-70°C, normal types are applied for several hours.

With the introduction of thermostable hydrolytic enzymes, brief stay periods at temperatures of up to 120°C are now possible. Common salt and calcium ions speed up the process of hydrolysis, whereas copper or zinc ions, as well as the majority of anionic surfactants, deactivate amylase.

Although there is significant interest in using ligases to break down the lignin in bast fibres and pectinases as scouring agents, no commercial procedures have yet been created.

Positive Aspects Of Enzymatic Desizing

No Fibre Damage

Enzymes carefully target certain molecules, causing no harm to fibres because of their very precise function. Due to this precision, there is a lower chance that the textile’s fibres will be harmed during the desizing procedure. Contrary to other conventional desizing techniques that may weaken or harm the fibres, enzymes have no impact on the thickness or quality of the fibres. This is so because enzymes, which are proteins by nature, function by severing the chemical link between the sizing agents and the textile fibres.

In comparison to conventional desizing procedures, enzymes can also be utilised at reduced temperatures and pH levels, reducing the possibility of fibre damage. The majority of the time, enzymes are employed in warm water with a pH of 7, which is extremely close to the ideal parameters for textile fibres and does minimal harm to the fibres.

In conclusion, utilising enzymes to desize textiles is a delicate and efficient process that, in contrast to traditional chemical procedures, does not harm the fibres.

Absence Of Use Of Toxic Compounds

There is no requirement to employ strong chemicals while desizing fabrics using enzymes. Proteins called enzymes are naturally occurring and are created by living things like bacteria and fungi. They operate without using harsh chemicals by dissolving particular molecules, in this case, the sizing agents.

Enzymes are highly precise in their action, only target certain compounds, and do not produce any toxic by-products, in contrast to conventional desizing techniques that rely on powerful acids, alkalis, or solvents. They are thus a more sustainable choice for downsizing fabrics.

Enzymes are also non-toxic, reducing the risk for workers to handle them and removing the need for expensive hazardous waste disposal.

In conclusion, employing enzymes instead of harsh chemicals to desize textiles results in a procedure that is safer for workers and the environment. The expense of disposing of hazardous trash is also eliminated.

A Large Number Of Possible Processes

Desizing textiles with enzymes offer a variety of process options that can be customized to the unique requirements of the textile and the required result.

A variety of enzyme choices Desizing enzymes come in a variety of forms, each with unique capabilities. For instance, starch-based size agents can be eliminated using cellulases, but protein-based sizing agents can be eliminated using proteases. As a result, the best enzyme for the particular sizing agent on the textile can be used.

  1. Flexible requirements: Enzymes can be utilised in a variety of temperatures, pH levels, and pressure ranges, enabling the desizing process to be tailored for the particular textile being used.
  2. Enzymes can be utilised in batch and continuous operations, making them appropriate for a variety of textile manufacturing processes.
  3. High productivity: Enzymes can be employed in conjunction with other textile finishing techniques and can function effectively in high-volume textile manufacturing contexts.
  4. Enzymes can be utilised at lower pH levels and temperatures, which helps to limit energy consumption and lessens the process’s negative effects on the environment.

In conclusion, employing enzymes to desize textiles opens up a variety of process options, including the use of different enzymes, adaptable conditions, and the possibility to use both batch and continuous processes. This enables the development of a highly customised and effective procedure that may be fitted to the particular cloth and intended final result.

Significant biological degradation

High biological degradability is achieved when desizing textiles with enzymes, which is advantageous for the environment and the textile manufacturing process.

  1. Enzymes occur naturally in proteins that are created by living things like bacteria and fungi. They are biodegradable. It can be segmented by environmental microbes because they are biodegradable. They are therefore a more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional chemical desizing techniques.
  2. Low toxicity: Enzymes have a low level of toxicity, making them safer for employees to handle and obviating the need for expensive hazardous waste disposal.
  3. No harmful by-products: Enzymes are a more environmentally friendly solution because they produce no hazardous by-products during the desizing process.
  4. Less need for water and detergent: Since enzymes can be utilised in aqueous solutions, less water and detergent are needed during the desizing process. Additionally, it lessens the process’s negative effects on the environment.
  5. Easy to handle: Enzymes are simple to utilise in the textile manufacturing process since they are lightweight and have a long shelf life.

 In the end, utilizing enzymes to desize textiles produces a high level of biological degradability, which is good for the environment and the manufacturing of textiles. Enzymes consume less water and detergent, are biodegradable, have low toxicity, don’t produce any dangerous byproducts, and are simple to handle. We at Ultreze Enzymes Manufacture Quality Enzymes to meet the Industry’s Demand at the most Affordable Price. We Supply Enzymes to Different Industries namely Textile Industry, Food Industry, Animal Feed, and so on. Alpha Amylase Enzymes are typically used in the Textile Industry. Ultreze Enzymes is a Manufacturer, Supplier, and Exporter of Textile Processing Enzymes i.e. Alpha Amylase Enzymes and other Enzymes like Serrati peptidase Enzyme, Lactase enzymes, etc. Want to know about us? Check out our website & connect with us.