We have investigated the rate of catalytic hydrolysis of cellulose fabrics by a cellulase enzyme in the presence of dyes on a cotton substrate. We found that both direct and reactive dyes on the substrate apparently inhibited the enzyme catalytic reaction, whereas a vat dye did not. The enzyme was more active for mercerized than for nonmercerized cotton. The enzyme treatment significantly reduced both tear strength and dye uptake of the fabrics. Enzyme-treated and successively dyed fabrics showed different color fading profiles compared to untreated fabrics after laundering.
We have studied the rate of catalytic hydrolysis of cotton fabrics by a cellulase enzyme in the presence of surfactants in treatment solution. We found that both anionic and cationic surfactants apparently inhibit the cellulase catalytic reaction, whereas nonionic surfactant do not. The inhibitory actions of the surfactants are similar to that of dyes that were studied in a previous paper. The actions have been attributed to the electrostatic interactions between charged inhibitory compounds and the cellulase enzyme in a treatment solution and on the cotton substrate.
Investigations on the recycling of oyster shells and bone waste treatment using the plasma pyrolysis technique are presented in this paper. A arc based plasma torch operated at 25 kW was employed for the experiments. Fresh oyster shells were recycled using the plasma torch to convert them to a useful product such as CaO. Bone waste was treated to remove the infectious organic part and to vitrify the inorganic part. The time required for treatment in both cases was significantly short. Significant reduction in the weight of the samples was observed in both cases.
Rate of weight loss of cellulosic fiber substrate by cellulase treatment was studied. The weight loss curves of cellulosic substrates by the cellulase treatment could be classified into two types. Fabrics of staple fibers such as cotton and linen broadcloths showed a weight loss curve that had at least two stages in weight loss process, whereas fabrics of filaments such as rayon taffetacloth showed a simple smooth de cay curve. The two stages in the weight loss process of the fabrics of staple fibers could be attributed to the enzymatic hydrolysis and the mechanical removal of fuzz from the surface of the fabrics during the cel lulase treatment. The weight loss curves of all cellulosic fabrics studied could be fitted to a linear combina tion of first order decay equation by a non-linear regression with high accuracy. Effects of cellulase con centration, mechanical action of treating apparatus and nature of surface of the fabrics on the rate of weight loss could be apparently represented by the simple decay equation.
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