Textile auxiliaries - enzyme preparations

Enzyme preparations are a kind of protein, which is a biological catalyst. Due to the uniqueness of its structure and stereo configuration, it has the characteristics of reaction specificity, so that it does not require high temperature, high pressure, strong acid, and strong alkali conditions. In the atmosphere of advocating energy conservation and environmental protection in recent years, it has received more attention and is widely used in various fields such as industry, medicine, and agriculture. The scope of enzyme preparations used in printing and dyeing has gradually developed from starch desizing to scouring and bleaching of cellulose fibers; degumming of hemp, scouring of silk; anti-felting of wool, and smooth and soft finishing of cellulose fibers and wool fabrics; stone grinding finishing of denim; anti-fouling washing and other processes, and its application scope is expanding day by day. The application fields of Chinese enzyme preparations in the textile industry are gradually expanding, including fiber modification, raw hemp degumming, pre-printing and dyeing treatment, printing and dyeing wastewater treatment, clothing garment processing and other fields. At present, the processing technology of textile enzyme preparations has involved almost all textile wet processing fields, and the market size is showing a steady increasing trend.

Characteristics of enzyme preparations

1 Due to the specificity of enzyme reactions, enzymes have strict selectivity for substrates, and one enzyme can only catalyze a class or a substance to react. It is manifested in that it is specific to the reactants being acted on, and the catalyzed reactions are also specific. Therefore, it can remove a certain specific component from certain substances, and can also make certain substances generate a certain structure. It is precisely because of the specificity of enzymes that enzyme preparations can be named based on this, such as cellulase, protease, pectinase, etc.

2 It can be used at room temperature and pressure, and does not require strong acids or strong bases, so the equipment requirements are low, the working conditions are good, and it can save energy.

3  Generally, enzymes have an affinity with the reactants being catalyzed (also known as substrates) and are combined in a certain position that is conducive to the reaction. Therefore, enzymes play a role in reducing activation energy and increasing frequency factors (i.e., collision rate within the reaction time) in chemical reactions, thereby greatly accelerating the reaction rate.

4 The enzyme itself is a protein, non-toxic, and sensitive to acid, alkali and temperature. Therefore, the reaction of enzyme preparations can be inhibited by adjusting the temperature or pH value to achieve the purpose of controlling the reaction.

5 Enzymes come from a wide range of sources. Animals, plants and microorganisms can all be used as raw materials for enzymes, especially microorganisms, which are not restricted by seasons, regions and climate. Moreover, microorganisms are of various species, easy to cultivate, reproduce quickly, and have high yields. They can be mass-produced cheaply in a short period of time. In particular, the recent use of genetic engineering for DNA sequence recombination and arrangement allows people to produce enzyme preparations with different properties as needed, which has made a breakthrough in enzyme preparations.

6  Enzymes themselves are easily biodegradable and do not require the addition of large amounts of chemicals, so they can greatly reduce the burden of sewage treatment and are called environmentally friendly additives in the 21st century.