Enzymes
their place in detergent history
The biggest single revolutionary trend in the detergent industry in the latter
years has been the use of enzyme additives. Enzymes as aids to washing are not new to the
industry. Proteolytic enzymes had been tried as additives to washing powders in Germany in
the 1920s with only moderate success and again in Switzerland in the 1930s. Enzymes, which
can be called organic catalysts, tend to hasten reactions and the proteolytic enzymes
convert or 'break down' proteins wholly or partially into amino acids. The action is
rather slow and the production costs high, but with improved methods of production and
purification, strains of enzymes, usually in admixture with a proportion of amylase which
breaks down starches, were developed which were relatively fast acting. These were added
initially to 'pre-soak' detergents and found immediate acceptance in the European
countries where washing habits were such that washing was normally soaked for a period
prior to the wash proper.
Better and better strains of enzymes were developed, with stability to a wider
pH spectrum, stability against perborate and quicker action. In the United States
detergent manufacturers resisted the incorporation of enzymes into their powders for some
years after this type of powder had almost completely swept the board in Europe but in
1968 enzymatic powders started appearing there as well. The position at present is that
enzymatic powders are now holding a large proportion of the household detergent market and
formulations appeared made for machine washing. Some washing-machine manufacturers are now
producing automatic washing machines with a 'Bio' programme which allows the washing to
remain in contact with the detergent solution for an extended period of time at a
relatively low temperature before beginning the washing and heating cycle. The future of
enzymes is at the moment obscure as the production of enzymatic powders has raised its own
problems, and one Scandinavian firm has already decided to withdraw its powder containing
enzymes from the market, but other large firms are taking enzymes out of some of their
powders while forging ahead with others.
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Conclusion
These then, are the main early trends in the development of detergents, but one must
not lose sight of the fact that many other types of detergent were produced in large or
small quantities concurrently with the few mentioned in
this topic. Each has a definite place and
use of its own, but the vast majority are modifications of the few types mentioned
here
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