Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.112, No.6, 3402-3409, 2009
Biopolishing of Cotton Fabrics with Total Cellulases of Trichoderma reesei and Optimization Using Taguchi Methods
Biopolishing of cotton fabrics enhances appearance and handle of the fabrics without compromising on essential properties. Process of biopolishing is influenced by concentration of cellulases, temperature, pH, and duration of treatment, besides the activity levels of enzymes, method of mechanical agitations and construction features of fabrics. Optimization of process parameters, including mechanical agitations and fabric construction features, has been carried out using Taguchi methods followed by analysis of variance and confirmation tests. All the design parameters, used in the study, have predominant influence on weight loss, fabric strength after biopolishing while thickness, bursting strength, abrasion losses, and flexural rigidity of the fabrics were significantly influenced by the concentration of cellulases together with duration of treatment. (c) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 112: 3402-3409, 2009