The effect of cellulase treatment in textile washing processes

An attempt has been made to understand the interaction between cellulase hydrolysis and mechanical agitation by separating them into two sequential steps. Cotton fabrics were treated with cellulase mixtures of different compositions, and then washed in a process involving a high level of mechanical agitation. The cellulosic material removed during washing had different amounts of reducing ends depending on the cellulase composition used in the initial treatment. The fibre surface did not change significantly after cellulase treatment, but after washing the surface properties were completely different depending on whether the fabric had been previously treated with an endoglucanase– or a cellobiohydrolase–rich preparation. When denim fabrics were subjected to similar processing, it was verified that an increase in colour loss occurred in enzyme–treated fabrics, and that there was an interaction between different cellulase activities and backstaining.