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Although natural protein fibres such as wool and silk have good physical properties and have been used extensively in the textile industry, they are relatively expensive to use and process. In silk, a large quantity of mulberry leaves is required for the production of a very small quantity of silk resulting in an increased cost of production. In addition, apart from the economic aspects, animal fibres are physically limited in several aspects. Firstly, both wool and silk fibre vary in diameter and their performance profile is limited. Secondly, morphologically, the presence of scales on wool surface results in felting shrinkage and difficulties in dyeing. In contrast, regenerated protein fibres, such as soybean fibre, do not have a theoretical limit in fineness to which fibres may be drawn. In addition, soybean is a competitive production material for fibres in the textile industry since it is abundant and cost-effective. Although the price of petroleum increased 21 times over the last fifty years, the price of soybean protein increased only 6.5 times (Agricultural Statistics Board, 1990; Monthly Energy Review, 1991). Another advantage of soybean protein is its higher protein content (40%), compared to peanuts (25%) and corn (10%) and the environmentally friendly production claimed by the manufacturers (Huakang Ltd., 2005). Additionally, the possibility that a plant protein can be modified by molecular genetic techniques, provide the opportunity to improve the properties of the fibre in specific applications. |
