Recovery Of Sericin Protein From Silk Processing Wastewaters By Membrane Technology

• Main Author: Aygun, Saniye Seylan
• Other Authors: Gecit, M. Rusen
• Format: Others
• Language: Eng
• Published: METU 2008
• Subjects: TD Water Pollution 419-428; Nanofiltration; Recovery; Sericin; Silk processing wastewater; Ultrafiltration
• Online Access: http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12609745/index.pdf

Cocoon cooking wastewaters (CW) and silk degumming wastewaters (SDW) of silk processing industry were treated by membrane processes for sericin recovery. CW contains only sericin while SDW contains both sericin and soap. Sericin in CW had four molecular weight (MW) fractions === 175-200 kDa (Sericin-1), 70-90 kDa (Sericin-2), 30-40 kDa (Sericin-3) and 10-25 kDa (Sericin-4). Two alternative process trains were developed for CW === 1. centrifugation + microfiltration + nanofiltration + precipitation, 2. centrifugation + microfiltration + nanofiltration + dialysis + precipitation. In the first process, a sericin/silkworm protein mixture was obtained with a sericin content of 39-46%. In the second one, however, a pure sericin product was obtained. The sericin recovery efficiency of the developed process train was found as 76%. Severe flux declines of 70-75% were observed in NF stage in both process trains. However, cleaning with 0.5 M NaOH and 190-200 mg/L free chlorine restored the fluxes by 83-127%. The MW of sericin in SDW was 110-120 kDa. The soap and sericin were separated in the pre-treatment stage consisting of centrifugation (pH 3.5, 10 min) and gravity settling (4 oC, 24 h). The ultrafiltration membrane with molecular weight cut-off of 5 kDa achieved 59% sericin recovery at pH 3.5, accompanied by severe flux decline of 88%. Furthermore, clean water flux was restored by only 31% via chemical cleaning.