Production of bioconjugates (k-carrageenan/cellulase) aiming their application in the biostoning process
Textile Waste. Cellulases. Immobilization. Denim Biostoning.
The textile industry and its different processing methods make use of many techniques for storing denim fabrics, however, some of them can produce waste and waste of reagent materials. The hydrolytic reaction of cellulases occurs inside fibers of cellulose origin and can cause surface changes and remove fibrils and color present in denim fabrics. For this application, the immobilization of cellulases together with smart polymer (k-carrageenan) will be used as a technique to remove these enzymes in the denim process, enabling their reuse and making the procedure more sustainable. In this study, cellulases will be produced using the semi-solid fermentation process (SSF) from cotton-based textile waste as substrate. The characteristics of the cellulases produced will be evaluated considering their enzymatic activity (CMCase, FPase and β-glucosidase), protein concentration, optimum temperature and pH, stability, among others. After production, the enzymes will be immobilized by adsorption and covalent bonding in reversibly soluble polymers (k-carrageenan).In the enzyme/polymer (bioconjugates) immobilization process, the immobilization yield, theoretical activity and recovered activity, thermal stability, pH's, electrophoresis, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) will be analyzed. Thus, the aim is to develop a biostoning process with bioconjugates as a more sustainable and economically viable alternative applied to one of the most polluting industries in the world.