MOLECULAR-WEIGHT OF COTTON CELLULOSE - EFFECT OF TREATMENT WITH A TOTAL CELLULASE

Cotton fabric is treated with a total cellulase preparation in either a Launderometer or a reciprocal water bath/shaker for times ranging fr om 10 to 180 minutes. Control fabrics, buffer-only treated fabrics, an d cellulase-treated fabrics are analyzed by gel permeation chromatogra phy to determine peak, weight-average, and number-average molecular we ights. The GPC data are compared to weight loss and breaking load meas urements on control and treated fabrics. Despite considerable weight l oss and breaking load reduction with the total cellulase treatment in the Launderometer, GPC analysis does not show a reduction in the molec ular weight of the cellulose.