Abstract
The aim of our proposed microbial desizing process is to combine production (cotton desizing) and wastewater treatment in one process and to replace auxiliary chemicals with a mixed microbial culture. Cotton fabric desizing is integrated in the acidic phase bioreactor of a wastewater treatment system. The mixed culture removes the size from tht fabric and converts it into volatile fatty acids, which are eliminated in a second (biogas) reactor. The effluent of this reactor is recycled to the desizing reactor to close the water cycle. A starch-based product is selected as a model compound for polysaccharide sizing agents. Experiments demonstrate the high potential of this biotechnology to replace problematic auxiliaries. High activities of important enzymes (α-amylase) during fabric treatment are detected. Data on the efficiency of microbial desizing at different temperatures and a mass balance for size degradation are presented, as well as details on intermediates accumulation.
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