Global Sericin Market Dynamic and Trends Analysis

Item

Description

Advantages of sericin

Silk fiber is mainly composed of two proteins, silk fibroin, and sericin. As a binding substance, sericin surrounds the outside of silk fibroin, which is located in the center of the silk fiber. The silk industry separates sericin from silk protein to improve the fiber’s smoothness, luster, lightness, and dyeability. Most of the sericin is discarded in wastewater, which can cause eutrophication and water pollution. Sericin is a natural polymer that acts as an adhesive to join two silk protein strands to form a silk yarn. Sericin is a polymer compound. Since the particle size is within the range of colloidal particles, it shows the unique properties of dialysis, cohesion, gelation, and peptization of sol. When sericin comes into contact with an appropriate liquid, it will automatically absorb the liquid and swell and become soft. After unlimited swelling, it can be dissolved in the liquid. This is the most important property of sericin, and it is also the basis for people to use water to make silk, refine, and degummer. Sericin is highly hydrophilic, biocompatible, moisturizing and healing, antibacterial active, antioxidant, and resistant to UV radiation, which makes it a suitable material for antioxidants and humectants. As a protein fragment, it is non-toxic and antioxidant, so it is often used as a food additive and cosmetic additive to perform functions such as moisturizing the intestines, increasing the bioavailability of certain trace elements, and improving the moisturizing properties of lotions or hair care products. Furthermore, sericin can be used to produce hydrogels, films, sponges, foams, dressings, granules, fibers, etc. for various biomedical and pharmaceutical applications (e.g., tissue engineering, wound healing, drug delivery). Given the serious environmental pollution caused by sericin and its beneficial properties, there is growing interest in the upcycling of this biomaterial. This may have a strong and positive impact on the economy, society, and environment, especially in sericulture countries such as China, India, Brazil, and Japan. Therefore, as its advantages are recognized by more people, the market size of sericin continues to expand.

Item

Description

Separation and recycling issues

Limitations in the use of sericin are related to its separation from silk cocoons. Methods for isolating silk fibroin and sericin from silk cocoons are generally based on solubility differences. In the traditional degumming process of silk manufacturing, soaps, and detergents are commonly used, but this method leads to partial hydrolysis of sericin, reducing its natural weight and losing some functional properties. Only a few organic solvents can dissolve silk proteins, but they are often toxic and rarely used. The acid precipitation method recovers sericin by adjusting the pH value of silk wastewater and separates and precipitates sericin under isoelectric point conditions. The advantage of this method is that the process flow is relatively simple and the recovery cost is low; the disadvantage is that the recovery rate is not high, the acid resistance requirements of the equipment are high, and chemical reagents remain in the sericin, which limits its application in medicine. Add saturated or concentrated salt solution to the degumming wastewater as a flocculant to destroy the hydration layer around the sericin and aggregate with the surrounding sericin to form precipitation. This method is simple, time-consuming, and low-cost, but the purity of the recovered sericin is low. Degumming wastewater is generally alkaline, and the silk in the degumming wastewater has a negative charge. By soaking the exchange fiber with an acid solution, the negative charge of sericin is neutralized and eluted from the anion exchange fiber. This method has a low cost and relatively high purity of sericin, but the process is complex and the recovery rate is low. Sericin is combined with surrounding sericin in a low-temperature solution, flocculated to form a gel state, and then freeze-dried to obtain sericin. This method has a simple process and a high recovery rate, but it requires freeze-drying equipment and consumes high energy, so the cost is high. Another method is to precipitate sericin by mixing a solvent such as ethanol, methanol, or similar aqueous solvent and then drying the sericin separately to obtain a powder. Although it has proven useful, it lacks industrial capability. Not only does it impose a burden on wastewater treatment in terms of economic costs, but the separation of sericin is difficult because it is produced in the form of sediment. The ultrafiltration method takes advantage of the large molecular weight of sericin and can select different membrane pore sizes to selectively filter and recover sericin. And the recovered sericin is relatively pure. The disadvantage is that the equipment cost is high, and the ultrafiltration membrane must be cleaned and replaced regularly. At present, there is no unified standard for the sericin recycling process. Enterprises value the simplicity of the process, low cost, and ease of industrial utilization. Therefore, the industrial sericin recycling process and process still needs to be improved and optimized. Overall, separation and recycling issues have been hampering the long-term growth of the sericin market.

Item

Description

Technological advances and government support

Advances in technology have contributed to the large-scale production of sericin. The Asia-Pacific region is home to several major silk producing countries including China, India, Japan, and Thailand, providing a stable supply of raw silk to the world, making sericin products easy to extract and utilize. Sericin market growth can be stimulated by the government providing an enabling environment by providing subsidies, grants, and research funding for silk production to promote the development of the silk industry and related industries. Sericin is widely incorporated into traditional medical systems such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine due to its antioxidant and wound healing properties, which have had a positive impact on the sericin market in the region. Due to labor costs and ease of obtaining silk, many sericin manufacturers have moved their base to China or surrounding areas. In recent years, new technologies have been developed to extract sericin from silk in a more environmentally friendly, efficient, and sustainable way, such as those using infrared heat, carbon dioxide supercritical fluids, and ultrasound. The rapid proliferation of innovations in surface modification technologies allows sericin to be functionalized for specific applications. It allows sericin to be modified to enhance its compatibility with other materials or to impart specific functionality, such as antibacterial or UV protection capabilities. Therefore, technological advancement provides continued vitality for the future development of the sericin market.

Item

Description

Raw material cost fluctuation risk

The seasonal growth of silkworms, the high dependence on mulberry leaves, and the high density of labor requirements have become distinctive characteristics of the sericulture industry. The front-end sericulture production spans the planting industry and the breeding industry and is closely dependent on natural conditions and mulberry planting and sericulture technology. It faces natural disaster risks and market risks of price fluctuations that are more prominent than other agriculture. The mid-to back-end silk processing industry chain is long and has distinctive export-oriented characteristics. It is greatly affected by macroeconomic fluctuations and changes in supply and demand in the international market. The production of silk is a highly labor-intensive process. Silk is made from hand-harvested silkworm cocoons. The cocoons are then boiled to kill the pupae inside and loosen the fibers, which are then spun into silk thread. This process requires a lot of skill and expertise. Silk prices vary depending on the silk farm and how they manage their silk supply. The quality of silk is directly related to the type of silkworm moth used in the production process. The most prized silks are made from the cocoons of the mulberry moth, which produces long, thin fibers that are stronger and more lustrous than other types of silk. However, silkworm moths are also very delicate and require specific environmental conditions to thrive, which increases production costs. Organic silk tends to be more expensive because sustainably managed prices can be higher. Silk production is strictly regulated in many countries. In China, for example, the government strictly controls the production and distribution of silk, which helps maintain its high value in the market. The cost of Indian silk is likewise monitored and maintained by the Indian government. Additionally, silk’s rarity increased its cost, and silk production was limited to certain areas of the world. As a result, silk prices are often affected by market fluctuations and can be affected by factors such as climate, disease, and political instability. Fluctuations in silk prices have caused fluctuations in raw material prices in the sericin industry, which is not conducive to the continuous production and operation of enterprises.