Page 96 - Advances in Textile Biotechnology

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Enzymatic hydrolysis and modifi cation
of core polymer fi bres for textile and
other applications

C. SILVA and A. CAVACO-PAULO, University of Minho, Portugal;
and V. A. NIERSTRASZ, Ghent University, Belgium

Abstract: Recent progress and new developments in enzymatic surface
hydrolysis of the core textile polymers poly(ethylene terephthalate)
(PET) and polyamide (PA) are discussed. The process produces

modifications that yield charged functional groups at the surface of these
synthetic materials. The use of cutinases, proteases and amidases for

modification of the surface of fibres is described and possible

applications for the bio-modified PET and PA are explored.
Key words: biotechnology, textiles, enzymes, functionalization, surface
hydrolysis, polymers.

4.1 Introduction
Synthetic fibres form an important part of the textile industry, the produc-

tion of polyester alone surpassing that of cotton. In 2007, the global annual

production of fibres and yarns was estimated to be 30.7 million tonne of
polyester, 4.0 million tonne of polyamide, 2.4 million tonne of acrylics, and
26.1 million tonne of cellulose (Oerlikon, 2008). The production volume of

polyester and polyamide fibres and yarns justifies research into effective

production. A characteristic of synthetic fibres is their low hydrophilicity.
The low hydrophilicity affects the processability of the fibres because the

surfaces are not easily wetted, thus impeding the application of fi nishing
compounds and a hydrophobic material hinders water from penetrating
into the pores of fabric during production.
Biotechnology has a vast potential in the industrial production of textile
materials. The global market for industrial enzymes increased from US$ 1.5
billion in 2000 to US$ 2.25 billion in 2007, and it has been forecasted to
grow to US$ 2.75 billion in 2012. Approximately 10% of industrial enzymes
fi nd their application in industrial textile processing. The increasing impor-
tance and potential of biotechnology and enzyme technology in textiles
production has been assessed in the last few years (Araújo et al., 2008;
Gübitz and Cavaco-Paulo, 2003; Lenting, 2004; Nierstrasz, 2009; Nierstrasz
and Warmoeskerken, 2003). In industrial textile pre-treatment of natural

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