Comparison of Alkaline Scouring of Cotton vs. Alkaline Pectinase Preparation.

Enzymatic scouring of cotton is developing into a commercially viable technology. Today's scouring process is chemically based and highly alkaline. Due to the unspecific nature of chemical processes, not only the impurities but also the cellulose are attacked, leading to damage in strength properties. Furthermore, current processes cause environmental problems due to high COD, BOO, and salt content in the effluents. Using enzymes decreases both effluent load and preparation costs. This paper discusses the necessary conditions for successful enzymatic scouring and the possibility of one- or two-step pretreatment of cotton with enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]