Abstract
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 decay 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 cellulase treatment. The weight loss curves of all cellulosic fabrics studied could be fitted to a linear combination of first order decay equation by a non-linear regression with high accuracy. Effects of cellulase concentration, 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.
