Use of Ultrasonic Energy in the Enzymatic Treatment of Cotton Fabric

• Published in: Industrial & engineering chemistry research Vol. 37; no. 10; pp. 3919 - 3923
• Main Authors: Yachmenev, Val G, Blanchard, Eugene J, Lambert, Allan H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 05-10-1998
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Other applications; Sonication; Enzymatic treatment; Enzyme; Cellulase; Glycosidases; Process improvement; Hydrolases; Laboratory scale; Cotton; O-Glycosidases; Ultrasound; Textile industry
• ISSN: 0888-5885; 1520-5045
• DOI: 10.1021/ie980274j

Application of enzymes in the textile industry is becoming increasingly popular because of mild processing conditions and the capability for replacing harsh organic/inorganic chemicals. The combination of ultrasound with conventional enzymatic treatment of cotton offers significant advantages such as less consumption of expensive enzymes, shorter processing time, less fiber damage, and better uniformity of enzymatic treatment. Our laboratory research has shown that introduction of ultrasonic energy during enzymatic treatment resulted in significant improvement in the performance of cellulase enzyme (CELLUSOFT L). It was established that ultrasound does not inactivate the complex structure of the enzyme molecules and weight loss of cotton fabric sonicated and treated with cellulase enzyme increased up to 25−35%. The experimental data indicate that the maximum benefit provided by sonification occurs at relatively low enzyme concentrations. Ultrasonic energy significantly intensified the enzymatic treatment of the cotton fabrics but did not contribute to a decrease in tensile strength of the cotton textiles.