Effect of Cellulase Treatment on Mechanical Properties and Hand of Tencel Fabrics

효소처리에 의한 텐셀직물의 역학적 성질 및 태의 변화

Tencel fabrics were treated with NaOH, mechanically prefibrillated, and hydrolyzed by cellulase. Softner was applied to improve hand of the treated Tencel fabrics after prefibrillation and cellulase treatment. Kawabata's Evaluation System for Fabrics(KES-FB) was used to evaluate effects of NaOH pretreatment, prebifrillation, and cellulase and softner treatments on fabric hand of the treated fabrics. Primary hand values of women's medium thick fabrics such as KOSHI, NUMERI, FUKURAMI, and SOFUTOSA, and total hand values were evaluation parameters. As the treatments of prefibrillation, cellulase, and softner progressed, values in bending and shearing properties decreased and softness and elasticity were imparted to the treated fabrics. Specifically, compressional linearity, compressional energy, and thickness of the treated fabrics increased by prefibrillation, providing bulkiness to the treated fabrics. Values indicating surface properties increased owing to fibrils formed by prefibrillation treatment, but removal of fibrils by cellulase treatment enhanced smoothness. As the fabrics were exposed to various treatments such as NaOH pretreatments, prefibrillation, and cellulase and softner treatments, NUMERI, FUKURAMI, SOFUTOSA, and total hand values increased with the exception of KOSHI, Consequently, the treated fabrics became softer, smoother, and more elastic. Especially, the NaOH pretreatment provided superior SOFUTOSA to Tencel fabrics.