title: Biodegradable sizing agents from soy protein via controlled hydrolysis and dis-entanglement for remediation of textile effluents.
abstract: Fully biodegradable textile sizes with satisfactory performance properties were developed from soy protein with controlled hydrolysis and dis-entanglement to tackle the intractable environmental issues associated with the non-biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in textile effluents. PVA derived from petroleum is the primary sizing agent due to its excellent sizing performance on polyester-containing yarns, especially in increasingly prevailing high-speed weaving. However, due to the poor biodegradability, PVA causes serious environmental pollution, and thus, should be substituted with more environmentally friendly polymers. Soy protein treated with high amount of triethanolamine was found with acceptable sizing properties. However, triethanolamine is also non-biodegradable and originated from petroleum, therefore, is not an ideal additive. In this research, soy sizes were developed from soy protein treated with glycerol, the biodegradable triol that could also be obtained from soy. The soy sizes had good film properties, adhesion to polyester and abrasion resistance close to PVA, rendering them qualified for sizing applications. Regarding desizing, consumption of water and energy for removal of soy size could be remarkably decreased, comparing to removal of PVA. Moreover, with satisfactory degradability, the wastewater containing soy sizes was readily dischargeable after treated in activated sludge for two days. In summary, the fully biodegradable soy sizes had potential to substitute PVA for sustainable textile processing.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China. Electronic address: yangmaiping@sina.com.
authors.forename: Maiping
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design, 234, HECO Building, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0802, United States. Electronic address: hxu14@unl.edu.
authors.forename: Helan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China. Electronic address: houxiuliang@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiuliang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China. Electronic address: 18861823290@163.com.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design, 234, HECO Building, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0802, United States; Department of Biological Systems Engineering, 234, HECO Building, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0802, United States; Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, 234, HECO Building, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0802, United States. Electronic address: yyang2@unl.edu.
authors.forename: Yiqi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000737:chemistry; D005990:Glycerol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006868:Hydrolysis; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol / Q000737:chemistry; D012722:Sewage; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D013783:Textile Industry / Q000379:methods*; D013784:Textiles; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004983:Ethanolamines; D005990:Glycerol; D011091:Polyesters; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D012722:Sewage; D030262:Soybean Proteins; D062065:Wastewater; C009546:triethanolamine
keywords: Biodegradable size; Green plasticizer; Polyvinyl alcohol; Soy protein; Sustainable textiles