In addition to being edible, soybeans can also be processed through bioengineering technology to make soy protein fiber and used in the textile field.
What is soy protein fiber?
Soybean protein fiber is made from waste meal that has been extracted from soybean oil. It uses new bioengineering technology to extract and purify the globulin in soybean meal. It is processed through auxiliaries and biological enzymes. function to change the spatial structure of the purified globulin, and then add hydroxyl and cyano polymers to prepare a protein spinning liquid of a certain concentration. After maturation, the wet spinning process is used to spin single fibers of 0.9~3.0 dtex. The filament bundles are stabilized by formaldehyde to stabilize the properties of the fibers, and are then crimped, heat-set, and cut to produce high-grade textile fibers of various lengths and specifications.
Soy protein fiber can be called the “green fiber” of the new century. Its main raw material is soybean meal from nature. The raw material is large in quantity and renewable, and will not cause harmful effects on the environment. resources resulting in predatory exploitation.
The production process of soy protein fiber will not cause pollution to the environment because the auxiliary materials and additives used are non-toxic, and most of the additives and semi-finished fibers can be recycled The residue left after protein purification can also be used as feed, and its production process fully complies with environmental protection requirements.
Soy protein fiber has both the excellent properties of natural silk and the mechanical properties of synthetic fibers. Its emergence not only satisfies people’s pursuit of wearing comfort and aesthetics, but also In line with the trend of clothing that is easy to iron and washable.
Characteristics of soy protein fiber fabrics
1. Luxurious appearance: Clothing fabrics give People’s feelings are reflected in three aspects: gloss, drape and texture fineness. Soybean protein fiber fabric has a silk-like luster, which is very pleasant, and its drape is also excellent, giving people an elegant and refined feeling. Fabrics woven with high-count yarns have fine, clean and clear surface textures, making them high-end shirt fabrics.
2. Good comfort: Soy protein fiber fabric not only has excellent visual effects, but also has extraordinary characteristics in terms of wearing comfort. The knitted fabric made of soy protein fiber has a soft, smooth and light feel, like a blend of silk and cashmere. Its hygroscopicity is equivalent to that of cotton, but its moisture conductivity and breathability are much better than cotton, ensuring comfort and hygiene.
3. Good dyeability: The natural color of soybean protein fiber is light yellow, much like silk. It can be dyed with acid dyes and reactive dyes, especially with reactive dyes. The color of the product is bright and shiny, and the fastness to sunlight and perspiration is very good. Compared with silk products, it solves the contradiction between bright dyeing and poor dye fastness. .
4. Good physical and mechanical properties: The single fiber breaking strength of this fiber is above 3.0cNdtex`1, which is higher than wool, cotton and silk, and second only to polyester and other high-strength fibers, and the fineness can reach 0.9dtex. At present, high-quality yarn of 6 dtex has been spun on cotton spinning equipment using 1.27 dtex cotton fiber, and high-end, high-quality, high-density fabrics can be developed. Since the initial modulus of soy protein fiber is relatively high and the boiling water shrinkage is low, the fabric has good dimensional stability. You don’t have to worry about the shrinkage of the fabric under regular washing. It has excellent wrinkle resistance and is easy to wash and dry quickly.
5. Health care functionality: Soybean protein fiber has good affinity with human skin and contains a variety of amino acids necessary for the human body, which has good health care effects. In the soybean protein fiber spinning process, Chinese herbal medicines with quantitative bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effects are added to the protein side chains to combine with chemical bonds. The efficacy is significant and long-lasting, which avoids the difficulty in sustaining the efficacy of functional products developed by finishing methods after cotton products. Shortcomings.
The emergence of soybean protein fiber has filled a gap in the development of textile raw materials in my country, a major textile country. Its emergence will set off a wave of new product development in the fields of cotton spinning, wool spinning, and silk spinning, and bring new development opportunities to textile enterprises. </p
