Desizing process

Abstract

A process for desizing of a sized fabric containing starch or starch derivatives during manufacture of a fabric, which process comprises incubating said sized fabric in an aqueous treating solution having a pH in the range between 1 and 5 which aqueous treating solution comprises an alpha-amylase.

1 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A process for desizing a sized fabric containing starch or starch derivatives during manufacture of a fabric, which process comprises incubating said sized fabric in an aqueous treating solution having a pH in the range between 1 and 5 which aqueous treating solution comprises an alpha-amylase. 
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 32 , wherein the pH is in the range between 1 and 4. 
     
     
         34 . The process of  claim 32 , wherein the alpha-amylase is of bacterial or fungal. 
     
     
         35 . The process of  claim 32 , wherein the alpha-amylase is an acid alpha-amylase. 
     
     
         36 . The process of  claim 35 , wherein the alpha-amylase is a derived from a strain of  Aspergillus, Rhizomucor , or  Meripilus.    
     
     
         37 . The process of  claim 36 , wherein the  Aspergillus  alpha-amylase is the  Aspergillus niger  alpha-amylase disclosed in SEQ ID NO: 38, or a variant thereof. 
     
     
         38 . The process of  claim 36 , wherein the  Rhizomucor  alpha-amylase is the  Rhizomucor pusillus  alpha-amylase disclosed in SEQ ID NO: 43, or a variant thereof. 
     
     
         39 . The process of  claim 32 , wherein the alpha-amylase is present in a concentration of 1-3,000 AFAU/kg fabric or 1-3,000 AFAU/L treating solution. 
     
     
         40 . The process of  claim 35 , wherein the bacterial alpha-amylase is derived from a strain of the genus  Bacillus.    
     
     
         41 . The process of  claim 40 , wherein the bacterial alpha-amylase is the alpha-amylase disclosed as SEQ ID NO: 40. 
     
     
         42 . The process of  claim 40 , wherein the  Bacillus  alpha-amylase has one or more deletions in position D183 and G184 (using the SEQ ID NO: 40 numbering). 
     
     
         43 . The process of  claim 32 , wherein the alpha-amylase is a hybrid enzyme comprising a carbohydrate-binding domain (CBD). 
     
     
         44 . The process of  claim 32 , wherein the alpha-amylase comprises a starch-binding domain of fungal or bacterial origin. 
     
     
         45 . The process of  claim 43 , wherein the carbohydrate-binding domain (CBD) is derived from a strain of  Aspergillus, Athelia , or  Talaromyces.    
     
     
         46 . The process of  claim 43 , wherein the amino acid sequence of the carbohydrate-binding domain (CBD) is derived from  Aspergillus kawachii, Aspergillus niger , or  Athelia  sp. 
     
     
         47 . The process of  claim 43 , wherein the alpha-amylase comprising a CBD comprises a linker between the alpha-amylase and CBD or starch-binding domain. 
     
     
         48 . The process of  claim 47 , wherein the linker is derived from is derived from a strain of  Athelia  or  Aspergillus.    
     
     
         49 . The process of  claim 32 , wherein the alpha-amylase is the hybrid alpha-amylase shown in SEQ ID NO: 44 comprising a catalytic domain (CD) from  Rhizomucor  pusillus alpha-amylase having a carbohydrate-binding domain (CBD) from the  Athelia rolfsii  glucoamylase. 
     
     
         50 . The process of  claim 32 , wherein the process is carried out at a temperature in the range from 5-90° C. 
     
     
         51 . The process of  claim 32 , wherein the process is carried out in the presence of a surfactant, preferably the surfactant is present in a concentration of 0.1-10 g/L.