Bioscouring of cotton with pectinase enzyme

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Abstract
We have studied bioscouring of cotton using pectinase enzyme, together with multiple mixed surfactants and D‐limonene as scouring assistants. The effectiveness of the bioscouring was evaluated by means of wetness testing, weight‐loss measurement of cotton substrate and analyses of the amounts of pectic substance and cotton wax remaining in the substrate after scouring. The cotton fabrics bioscoured with pectinase showed improved wetness but much less wax was removed than by the conventional alkaline process. The improved wetness of the bioscoured cotton reverted to that of the original following a thermal process, indicating that the thermal process caused wax that had remained inside the bioscoured cotton to migrate to the surface. We found that addition of small amounts of nonionic surfactants in the bioscouring solution greatly enhanced the effectiveness of the removal of cotton wax without inhibiting the activity of pectinase enzyme. The characteristics of cotton bioscoured by the pectinase‐surfactant system were equivalent to or better than those of cotton produced by the conventional alkaline process.