Improvement of moisture absorbency of naturally colored cotton fiber by pectinase treatment

This research work was undertaken with a view to improving the moisture absorbency of the naturally brown and green cottons by treating them with pectinase Scourzyme L.Treatment conditions were varied as a function of pectinase concentration,temperature,duration of treatment and pH value.The moisture regain of the naturally colored cottons after treatment was tested.The results revealed that provided that other treatment conditions remain unchanged,the optimum moisture regain of the green and brown cottons can be achieved when pectinase concentrations are 0.5% and 0.6%(o.w.f) for the green and brown cottons respectively.With respect to the treatment temperature,(50 ℃) for the green cotton and(60 ℃) for the brown is optimal.Increasing treating time increases the treatment efficiency,and the proper pH value ranges from 8 to 8.5,otherwise enzymatic activity can not be brought into full play during the treatment.