BORAS - Scientists at the University of Boras in Sweden claim to have come up with a new way of using enzymes to dye textiles which reduces the usage of energy and water and the discharge of potentially harmful chemicals.
Doctoral student May Kahoush developed the use of enzymes to degrade dyes and remove contaminants from the wastewater because she was concerned about the negative effect of textile dyeing on the environment.
She induced a degradation mechanism for dyes and other chemicals by attaching enzymes to the surface of a support material - felted carbon fibre textiles - instead of the traditional process which requires the use of oxidising solutions or acids at a higher temperature and for a longer duration.
