Enzymatic bleaching of cotton fabric with glucose oxidase

Cotton fabric is desized with amyloglucosidase and combined with bioscouring viith two different kinds of pectinase in the presence and absence of cellulase. The treatment bath, rich in glucose, is initially reused for biobleaching with glucose oxidase under neutral conditions. Finally, all three preparatory processes are combined. The whiteness, water absorbency, tensile strength, and degree of polymerization of the treated cotton goods are evaluated. The process yields products with acceptable whiteness very close to the whiteness of commercially bleached goods and excellent mechanical properties. The amount of rinse water can be drastically reduced.