• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.173-182
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• 2001

The physical properties and biodegradability of cellulose fabrics, such as cotton and rayon, are expected to vary with textile care. In this study cotton and rayon fabrics were washed repeatedly with detergents, bleaches, or softeners. The changes of physical properties were investigated by measuring retention of breaking strength, shrinkage, handle, and the fiber surface was observed by SEM. The biodegradability of fabrics was also estimated by soil burial test. The results were as follows. Cotton fabrics laundered repeatedly by detergents and bleaches lost virtually no strength. The breaking strength of the rayon fabrics decreased by about 17%∼25% after repeated launderings. Shrinkage in weft direction was much larger than that in warp direction. Bending rigidities of both fabrics decreased remarkably within 10 wash cycles. Shear rigidity in cotton fabrics increased continuously with repeated washing cycles, however, that in rayon fabrics did not show any change as washing went on. Friction coefficient increased in both fabrics after 10 wash cycles, and this is thought to be attributed to the wrinkle, interlocking of hairs, surface damage resulted from repeated washings. In cotton fabrics made of staple yarns, short hairs on the yarn surface entangled together with repeated launderings. This resulted in the continuous increase in % shrinkage, shear rigidity, friction coefficient. Rayon fabrics made of filament yarns, however, did not show this phenomenon. Softener treated fabrics showed the lowest values in bending rigidity, shear rigidity and friction coefficient because the cationic surfactants adsorbed on the fiber surface behaved like lubricants. The biodegradability of fabrics was noticeably affected by the composition of washing solutions. The fabrics washed with detergents and bleaches were decomposed faster than those washed with the others were and the cotton fabrics washed with detergents and softeners hardly degraded. The fabrics soiled with milk were decomposed almost completely and those soiled with Palmitic acid did not degrade greatly.