Invention Reference Number
Nylons represent a class of common man-made polyamide polymers that are notoriously difficult to recycle. Enzymes could selectively hydrolyze amide bonds in nylons to enable targeted chemical recycling, but only one nylon hydrolase enzyme had previously been identified. This technology identifies and characterizes nylon hydrolase enzymes with novel substrate and product selectivity.
Description
This technology describes a set of uncharacterized enzymes from sequence databases that are members of the same protein family as the characterized nylon hydrolase. More than 30 of the resulting enzymes show ability to depolymerize nylon 6 and nylon 66. Several enzymes produce novel hydrolysis products, including nylon 66 dimers, and selectively hydrolyze nylon 66 compared to nylon 6. Using these enzymes, mixtures of commercial nylons can be selectively deconstructed to oligomers and then recycled or upcycled.
Industries and Applications
- Textile waste recyclers
- Nylon recyclers
- Industries working with enzymes
Benefits
- Can selectively recycle nylons
- Can generate nylon oligomers for use in new applications
Contact
To learn more about this technology, email partnerships@ornl.gov or call 865-574-1051.
