Influence of combined enzymatic treatment on one-bath scouring of cotton knitted fabrics

Abstract

The scouring of cotton knitted fabrics with alkaline pectinase, neutral cellulase, neutral–alkaline protease, and alkaline xylanase and mixtures thereof, in one bath was studied. The effects of enzyme combinations were studied against the criteria of wettability, burst strength loss and whiteness. The best combinations were (1) pectinase (4 g L−1) and cellulase (0.5 g L−1), (2) pectinase (4 g L−1), cellulase (0.5 g L−1) and protease (1 g L−1), (3) pectinase (4 g L−1), cellulase (0.5 g L−1) and xylanase (2 g L−1). The results showed that the scouring effects of enzyme mixtures were better than those of individual enzymes, and dyeing properties (K/S, colour parameters and colour fastness) of bioscoured cotton knits were comparable to those of conventionally alkaline scoured cotton knits.