Abstract
Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) filaments were treated at 30°C and given pH for 14 days under shaking in a enzyme solution prepared from Cladosporium cladosporioides (CC) strain. Scanning electron microscopy and physical and chemical properties measurements were made on the incubated PAN fibers. The mechanical properties, intrinsic viscosity and UV absorption of PAN were remarkably changed by the incubation. It was recognized that these changes were caused by the actions of nitrile hydratase, amidase and esterase from CC. Furthermore, an oxidase-like action of hydrocarbon-assimilating fungi can be assumed to hold for the oxidation by CC strain. This deterioration phenomenon has been observed for swelling type of water-soluble polymers such as nylon-6, cellulose diacetate, cotton cellulose and silk fibroin.
