Process for preparing fine powder of silk fibroin
AssigneeNational Institute of Sericultural and Entomological Science, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Director General
InventorKozo Tsubouchi
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Abstract
A process is provided for preparing crystalline fine powder of silk fibroin from a silk substance in an industrially advantageous fashion. The process for the preparation of fine powder of the silk fibroin is such that, after the silk substance is brought into an alkaline aqueous solution at a temperature of 95.degree. C. or higher in order to cause a strength of said silk substance to deteriorate, the resulting silk substance is subjected to treatment with alkali and dried, and the dry silk substance is pulverized into finely divided powder.
Claims10
A process for the preparation of a fine powder of silk fibroin, comprising:
- contacting a silk substance containing crystalline fibroin with an alkaline aqueous solution at a temperature of 95.degree. C. or higher, while maintaining the crystallinity of the silk fibroin in the silk substance, to reduce the tensile strength of said silk substance;
- dealkalinizing the resulting silk substance;
- drying the dealkalinized silk substance;
- and
- finely pulverizing the resulting dried silk substance to form the fine powder of silk fibroin having a crystallinity as high as the crystallinity of the fibroin in the silk substance used in said contacting and having an average particle size in the range of 3-6 .mu.m.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.