This document summarizes a presentation on industrial applications of biocatalysis. It discusses using enzymes for natural fiber separation, cotton wet processing, and interesterification of fats and oils. For fiber separation, enzymes provide an ecological alternative to retting fibers at low temperatures in short times. For cotton processing, enzymatic desizing and scouring is shown to be effective in shorter times and as a one-step continuous process. Enzymatic interesterification is demonstrated to modify the properties of fat and oil blends. Results indicate biocatalysis can effectively substitute for conventional industrial chemical processes.

1. Aplicaciones industriales de la biocatálisisNombre conferencia
Aplicaciones industriales de la biocatálisis
Anna Surribas
Elena Genescà, Aleix Conesa, Roshan Paul, Marolda Brouta-Agnésa i Meritxell de la Varga.
Barcelona, 16th November 2011

2. Aplicaciones industriales de la biocatálisis

3. Aplicaciones industriales de la biocatálisis
LEITAT’s Corporate presentation
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(*) Images: applications of Leitat Technological Center to the FotCiencia’06, FotCiencia’07, FotCiencia’08 contests:
1.- Tineoella bisselliella larva adhered to a wool fiber
2.- Surface tension modified by plasma treatment in a textile surface
3- Poliamides (transversal section)
4- Scratch test of ABS (Acrilonitrilo, Butadieno, Estireno)
OBJECTIVE
R+D+2I collaboration, adding technological value and a clear adaptation
and evolution to the constant market changes.

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R+D+i market oriented services

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Industrial Biotech:
R & D in biotechnological solutions with
application in industrial processes; applied
microbiology and microencapsulation.
Biocatalysis
Industrial Bioprocesses
Bioproduct production
Environmental Biotechnology
Applied microbiology (process validation,
biofilm models, strain isolation and
characterization…)
Microbiology testing
Microencapsulation of antimicrobial
products

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Fibres separation process
Cultivation
Water retting
Air drying
Oven drying
Grinding (siglo XVIII)
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Project substrates
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Enzymatic retting set up
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Commercial enzymes Proveedor
Texazym BFE (pectinase) Inotex
Polygalacturonase Biocon
Xylanase Biocon
Scourzyme (pectinase) Color Center
Process variables
Enzyme cocktail
Process time
Temperature
pH
Buffer / Chelant agent
Agitation type
Fiber polishing
Bath/Fiber ratio

11. Aplicaciones industriales de la biocatálisis
Results of the project
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Fibers separation with enzymes (P6):
– Ecological separation process.
– Low temperature process.
– Short time process (catalyzing action of the enzyme).
Fibers obtained with the enzymatic process (P6).

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Results of the project
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Mechanically
treated and
enzymatic
polishing of fibers.
Mechanically
treated fibers.
Hemp skin fibers polished with
enzymes.

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Substitution of conventional cotton wet processing :
(1) less harmful
(2) less aggressive towards the environment and fibre
(3) applied at mild conditions
(4) cost-effective

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Process 2: chemical processing

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- Enzymatic desizing and scouring in shorter
time.
- An alternative amylase and pululanase
(Dextrozyme) for the desizing/scouring. A
pectinase, humectant, chelating agent and buffer
KH2PO4 are used.
- Process conditions : 62ºC and 60 min at pH 4.1
- Transfer to a second bath for chemical
bleaching.
Process 2: Two step enzymatic process

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One step continuous process
- Enzymatic desizing /scouring with a
commercial thermostable amylase (Texazyme
TA10)
- Simultaneous chemical bleaching with H2O2
- Process conditions : 105ºC during 60 min.
Single step continuous enzymatic process using thermoresistent enzymes
Process 2: One step preindustrial process

18. Aplicaciones industriales de la biocatálisis
SEM Images
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A B C
Scanning Electron Microscopy pictures of treated cotton fibres.
(A)Chemical desizing, scouring and bleaching
(B)Two step enzymatic process
(C) One step continuous enzymatic processing

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Textile Quality
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Weight loss
Whiteness
(CIE) Iodine test Drop test
Conventional Treatment
15% 63,1 OK OK
Enzymatic
semicontinuous
treatment
11,75% 65 OK OK
Alternative enzymatic
semicontinuous
treatment
13,37% 61 OK OK
Single step enzymatic
process
12,57% 71 OK OK
QUALITY ASSESSMENT:
- Desizing and scouring : iodine test and the water penetration test (UNE EN 20811).
- Bleaching: CIE whiteness using DATACOLOR spectrophotometer.
- Weight loss and tensile properties of the fabrics (EN ISO 13934/1:1999)

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Reutilizations and Savings
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Industrialization and Tech Transfer
and finishing of
home textiles, technical textiles for filtration and
medical textiles.
Product Laboratory trials (CIE whiteness) Autoclave (CIE whiteness)
Texazyme TA10L 72,9 58,2
Bialfa T 72,8 61,4
Aquazym SDL 69,3 57,1

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0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
15 20 25 30 35 40 45
SFC(%)
Temperature (ºC)

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ENZYMATIC
INTERESTERIFICATION

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Enzyme Characteristics
E1 Commercial Immobilized non-specific enzyme
E2 Commercial immobilized specific enzyme
Variables
Enzyme type and quantity
Process time
Temperature
Fat /oil ratio
Agitation
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0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
15 20 25 30 35 40 45
SFC(%)
Temperatura (ºC)
40:60 Fat:Oil E1
40:60 Fat:Oil E2
50:50 Fat:Oil E1
50:50 Fat:Oil E2
60:40 Fat:Oil E1
60:40 Fat:Oil E2
70:30 Fat:Oil E1
70:30 Fat:Oil E2
80:20 Fat:Oil E1
80:20 Fat:Oil E2
Desired SFC

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SMP (ºC)
30,7
-0,6
-0,5
-0,4
-0,3
-0,2
-0,1
0
0,1
-60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100
Heatflow(W/g)
Temperature (ºC)
Cooling
thermogram
0,15
0,2
0,25
0,3
0,35
0,4
0,45
-40 -20 0 20 40 60 80
Heatflow(W/g)
Temperature (ºC)
Heating
thermogram

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Conclusions
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Acknowledgments
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Thank you for your attention
asurribas@leitat.org