Degumming of Silk Using Papaya Skin

Silk the exotic, elegant, beauty and luxury fabric has fascinated man for many decades. Degumming of silk is one of the most important studies in silk manufacturing process. In this study an attempt has been made to replace the traditional soap soda method with enzymes. The enzyme protease is being extracted from the skin of papaya which is a rich source of protease enzyme papain. The yarns are degummed with the enzyme extracted from the papaya skin. The performance of enzyme treated yarn has also been compared with the yarns degummed by the conventional method. The degummed yarns were further dyed using natural dye turmeric in the presence and absence of mordants. The degummed samples were subjected to subjective evaluation like colour, luster and hand, dyed yarns for general appearance, depth of colour, evenness in dyeing and luster. Objective evaluation like Weight loss, Tensile strength, Elongation, Degumming efficiency, Colour fastness to washing, rubbing and to light were also carried out.