Degumming of Mulberry Silk with Papain in Non-aqueous Systems

摘要

The nonionic reverse micelles used for degumming of mulberry silk were prepared with a non-ionic surfactant Triton X-100 (TX-100) by injecting small amount of papain aqueous solution. The weight loss of mulberry silk degummed at different concentration of papain in TX-100 reverse micelles was investigated. The effect of the amount of solubilized water was also discussed. The polarizing optic microscope was employed to observe the surface morphology of the mulberry silk. The results indicated that the weight loss of the mulberry silk was increased with increasing concentration of papain, but the W values exhibited the reverse trend. The good degumming of mulberry silk with papain was obtained in TX-100 reverse micelles. The strength of mulberry silk decreased with increasing concentration of papain.