Abstract
Cotton and other cellulosic fabrics, such as rayon, polynosic, and linen were pretreated with liquid ammonia, and then were treated with cellulase. The fine structure, external appearance, bending properties, tensile strength, and wrinkle recovery of the treated fabrics were studied. The liquid ammonia pretreatment for four cellulosic fabrics changed the crystal structure, but cellulase treatment did not. Surface appearances were changed differently with or without liquid ammonia pretreatment. Moisture regain of the liquid ammonia pretreated fabrics decreased by cellulase treatment time. Water absorbency of fabrics without pretreatment decreased by collulase treatment, while it increased at long treatment times in the case of the liquid ammonia pretreated specimens. Bending rigidity of the liquid ammonia pretreated natural cellulosic fabrics (cotton, linen) decreased by cellulase treatment, but that of regenerated cellulosic fabrics (rayon, polynosic) increased by cellulase treatment. Tensile strength of the liquid ammonia pretreated fabrics was higher than that of fabrics without pretreatment. The same results were obtained after cellulase treatment.