Study on the Reaction Apparatus for Amino Acid Production from Wool-derived Protein Using Cation Exchange Resins

Abstract

Wool textile waste is composed mainly of protein that can be hydrolyzed to generate amino acids. For the purpose of recycling, wool waste is subjected to pressurized hot water treatment to convert the protein to water-soluble protein, followed by hydrolysis of the water-soluble protein using cation exchange resins as catalysts. However, the wool proteins often undergo excessive decomposition during the pressurized hot water treatment. The present study examined methods for suppressing the excessive decomposition and optimizing conditions for hydrolysis of the water-soluble proteins. The results indicate that the excessive decomposition can be suppressed by shortening the retention time using a semi-flow reactor. In addition, a high ion-exchange capacity and an increase in the resin density in the reaction vessel effectively promoted hydrolysis.