USE OF ULTRASONIC ENERGY IN THE ENZYMATIC TREATMENT OF COTTON FABRIC

Application of enzymes in the textile industry is becoming increasingl y popular because of mild processing conditions and the capability for replacing harsh organic/inorganic chemicals. The combination of ultra sound with conventional enzymatic treatment of cotton offers significa nt advantages such as less consumption of expensive enzymes, shorter p rocessing time, less fiber damage, and better uniformity of enzymatic treatment. Our laboratory research has shown that introduction of ultr asonic energy during enzymatic treatment resulted in significant impro vement in the performance of cellulase enzyme (CELLUSOFT L). It was es tablished that ultrasound does not inactivate the complex structure of the enzyme molecules and weight loss of cotton fabric sonicated and t reated 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 significan tly intensified the enzymatic treatment of the cotton fabrics but did not contribute to a decrease in tensile strength of the cotton textile s.