Abstract

The environmental and industrial safety conditions increase the potential for the use of enzymes in textile processing to ensure eco-friendly production. Laccase enzymes formulation has been used in textile processing for different processes such as bio-bleaching, dyeing, rove scouring, finishing, neps removal, printing, wash-off treatment, dye synthesis, and effluent treatment. The discharge printing by using laccases helps to avoid hazardous reducing chemicals like sulphoxylic acid derivatives and tin salts, in particular, stannous chloride. Bio-bleaching helps in decolorizing textile material by using laccase enzymes, which do not increase effluent load. Laccases are also used for the washing-off process, which decreases the use of synthetic detergent. Laccase enzymes do not affect fiber polymer, which means less fabric damage is found after processing. Laccase enzymes development further promotes eco-friendly processing.

Introduction

Enzymes are a Greek word 'Enzymos,' meaning 'in the cell' or 'from the cell.' They are protein substances made up of more than 250 amino acids. Based on specificity, they are grouped. The concept of treating fabrics with enzymes to improve their surface properties was first developed in Japan in 1989. The treatment has assumed more importance due to the present concern of a clean and eco-friendly environment under the following groups:

  • Oxidoreductases - oxidation, reduction reaction
  • Transference - transfer of functional group
  • Hydrolases - hydrolysis reaction
  • Lyases - addition to double bond or its reverse
  • Isomerases - isomerization
  • Ligases - formation of bonds with ATP cleavages

Enzymes have a bright future in the wet processing of the textile industry. Enzymes do not produce toxic effluent as they can be easily deactivated for disposal.

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This paper was presented at Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), Mumbai, in the VASTRA 2011 in a two-day event held on Feb 18th & 19th, 2011.

The author is associated with Textile and Engineering Institute, Ichalkaranji.