Enzymatic treatment of jute fabrics with neutral cellulase enzymes is investigated systematically. The factors affecting enzymatic treatment including, time, liquor ratio, temperature and enzyme concentration are also examined. The hydrolyzed pretreated surfaces of jute fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), weight loss (WL) and wettability (Wet) tests. WL% and Wet were found to increase as the time, temperature and cellulase concentration increased. SEM images showed that the surface of the treated fabrics was smoother and more polished than that of the untreated fabrics after being subject to optimal treatment conditions.
In contrast, rough surface, fibrillation, surface pilling and multicellular were observed in the images of the untreated fabrics. The dyeing behavior of both untreated and enzymatically treated jute fabrics with reactive dyes was also evaluated under different dyebath conditions. The measured exhaustion and fixation percent showed a significant enhancement of the dyeability of biopolished pretreated fabrics compared to untreated fabrics. The results of fastness properties also indicate good washing, perspiration and rubbing fastness.
