Evaluating an enzyme treatment of ramie fabrics

Ramie fabrics after weaving and desizing are treated with three kinds of co mmercial enzyme mixtures to examine the changes in some fabric properties c ompared with an alkaline boiled treatment. The effects of the enzymes on re moving pectin from ramie are evaluated. Relative amounts of residual pectic substances on the surfaces of untreated and treated fabrics are obtained b y staining with ruthenium red. The content of pectic substances in the fibe rs after treatments is measured as galacturonic acid by a carbazole-sulfuri c acid reaction, then the results are related to changes in whiteness, surf ace structure observed by SEM photographs, and mechanical properties measur ed by the KES-FB.