Abstract
Biodegradability of cotton/polyester blend fabric was investigated employing activated sluge test, soil burial test and enzyme hydrolysis. Surface changes of the degraded sample were observed through a microscopy. Changes in X-ray diffraction patterns and crystallinity were examined using X-ray diffractometer. Experimental results revealed that biodegradability of cotton/polyester blend fabric was proportional to the blending ratio of cotton, not showing any synergy effect. Polyester 100% hardly degraded in this study. Through the comparison of the experimental method it was shown that the biodegradabilities determined from activated sludge test and enzymatic hydrolysis except soil burial test were linearly related to the blending ratio of cotton in the blent fabrics. It is probably because the biodegradability determined from the retention of tensile strength of fabrics buried in soil was affected by the stress distribution of polyesters throughout the fabric. From the microscopic observations it was revealed that fungi were grown on the fabric surface and the colors turned yellow, brown and black. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the heights of crystalline peak coming from cotton part in blend fabrics decreased whereas those coming from polyester part increased comperatively as time passed by. Crystallinities of cotton 100% fabric increased slightly at the begining and then decreased continuously.