Mechanical Agitation of Cotton Fabrics During Enzyme Treatment and Its Effect on Tactile Properties

This work reports changes in the mechanical and surface properties of a plain weave cotton fabric subjected to enzyme treatment with and without mechanical agitation. It also describes the influence of the property changes on the measured hand qualities. Some of the mechanical properties and the tactile qualities of the treated fabrics differ by as much as 50% compared to the untreated fabric. One-way analysis of variance reveals that almost all the measured properties (except initial thickness, percent thickness compression, and bending rigidity) of the treated fabrics differ from those of the untreated fabric. The results also reveal that there are some unique differences in properties between the fabrics subjected to enzyme treatment with and without mechanical agitation, implying that the level of mechanical agitation during treatment can significantly alter the finishing effects, including the thermal comfort performance of the treated fabrics.