Biopolishing of cotton fabric with fungal cellulase and its effect on the morphology of cotton fibres

Abstract

Attempt has been made to analyse structural changes in cotton fibres occurred during biopolishing using cellulases obtained from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Trichoderma reesei</i>. Cellulase hydrolysis results in weight loss of the samples, which, in turn, results in the splitting of fibres and removal of surface irregularities of the fibres as revealed by SEM images. Degree of crystallinity is not influenced by the biopolishing process due to random hydrolysis of the cellulase enzymes on cotton fibres. Lateral order of the crystallites, measured between (101) and (10) peaks of the x-ray diffraction reduces from 0.662 to 0.667 on account of the hydrolysis though the crystallite thickness measured perpendicular to (002) plane remains unchanged. FTIR results reveal the increased -OH bending, CH₂ in-plane bending, and C-H vibrations of the cellulose chains in the biopolished cotton samples using cellulase.