Effect of purified Trichoderma reesei cellulases on the supramolecular structure of cotton cellulose

Commercial cellulases may contain mixtures of different cellulase components, and properties of cotton fabrics treated with cellulases vary with the nature of these mixtures. This study reports the effect of treatments with cellulase monocomponents on the molecular and supramolecular structures of cotton cellulose. Desized, scoured, and bleached printcloth fabrics prepared from ring spun or rotor spun Deltapine cotton yarns are treated with monocomponent cellulases-endoglucanase I and II and cellobiohydrolase I and II from Trichoderma reesei-in an acetate buffer in stainless steel canisters in the presence of stainless steel ball bearings. The effects of the treatments are reported for fabric weight loss, reducing sugar formation, fabric breaking strength and tearing strength, copper number, water of imbibition, cellulose microstructure as revealed by hydrogen bonding patterns, and fiber pore size distribution.