Textile Enzymes

Textile enzymes are biological catalysts that perform specific wet-processing jobs — breaking down starch size, smoothing cellulosic fibers, or destroying leftover bleach — at mill temperatures and near-neutral pH. Three do most of the work in a textile plant: amylase, cellulase, and catalase. Each acts on one substrate and leaves the rest of the fabric alone, which is why they replaced harsher chemical and mechanical methods.

Amylase hydrolyzes starch size so it rinses off cleanly before dyeing, and catalase decomposes the hydrogen peroxide left after bleaching so it cannot interfere with reactive dyes. Both run in narrow windows; an amylase optimized near 60-70°C and pH 6 loses activity outside that band. Specify the enzyme grade to your bath temperature and pH rather than dosing more product to compensate for a poor match.

Cellulase drives biopolishing and denim bio-stoning. It shaves the protruding fibrils that cause pilling, smooths the surface, and replaces pumice stones in garment laundries. Here is the real trade-off: the same activity that smooths the surface also removes fabric, so an over-dose costs you tensile strength and weight along with the fuzz. Control dose, time, and temperature, and deactivate the enzyme on schedule.

• Enzymatic desizing of starch-sized cotton and blends before dyeing
• Biopolishing to reduce pilling and improve surface smoothness on cellulosics
• Denim bio-stoning and abrasion finishing in garment laundries
• Catalase peroxide kill before reactive dyeing to prevent shade variation
• Lower-temperature surface preparation as an alternative to harsh alkali routes

• Amylase enzyme — PubChem
• Cellulase enzyme — PubChem
• Catalase enzyme — PubChem