Process Intensification of Sustainable Wool Dyeing Using Black Soldier Fly Biomass

In the current study, an investigation is conducted into the unique application of the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) insect for the natural coloring of wool fibre. The process (Fig. 1) is accelerated by investigating the economically viable and sustainable use of superheated water hydrolysis [1] for the extraction of natural colorants for wool fibre dyeing from Black Soldier Fly (BSF) biomass, including larvae, puparium, and dead flies. Initially, the moisture and ash content were determined for larvae (7.31% and 11.03%), puparium (9.16% and 8.3%), and dead flies (9.78% and 12.91%), respectively, and then lipids were extracted from the biomass of each BSF stage, with the average lipid content being 25.89, 5.46, and 26.97% for larvae, puparium, and dead flies, respectively. The superheated water hydrolysis is simple, inexpensive, and safe to use because it uses only water. It sterilizes the BSF material and increases its biodegradability at a temperature of 170°C for one hour. The extracted hydrolyzed protein yields for defatted larvae, puparium, and dead flies were 47.57%, 19.27%, and 43.94%, respectively. The effectiveness of the isolated proteins in dyeing wool fibers was assessed; ferrous sulfate mordanting at 5% greatly increased color strength through the formation of protein-mordant-fibre complexes [2]. The dyed wool demonstrated its appropriateness for real-world uses with acceptable washing and rubbing fastness. This innovative method highlights the potential of proteins generated from BSF for environmentally friendly textile dyeing, supporting green production and process intensification in the textile sector.