A SUSTAINED GREEN SCOURING PROCESS OF COTTON USING IMMOBILIZED PECTINASE ON IRON OXIDE NANOPARTICLES AND ITS REUSABILITY

Abstract

Scouring, a vital process in textile wet processing which removes hydrophobicity nature of the fabrics by removing natural matters and other impurities 
that imparts hydrophilic property. In this present study, Scouring was performed with free enzyme and pectinase immobilized iron oxide nanoparticles. 
Iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation method and immobilized with pectinase that was characterized by the Scanning Electron 
Microscope and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy showed 35 and 86 nm size of control and enzyme immobilized iron oxide nanoparticles and 
the presence of enzyme functional groups respectively. Scouring parameters were optimized and the scouring was done successfully. Physical and 
functional properties of the scoured fabrics were analyzed where immobilized enzyme treated fabrics showed higher weight loss 7.5%, 1 sec wettability 
and 44, 36 lbs tensile strength under optimized condition cycles than conventionally scoured fabrics as control and merely equal to free enzyme treated 
fabrics. Operational stability of enzyme immobilized nanoparticles was determined and losses its 50% efficiency in 4th cycle having 3.2% weight loss 
with 14 sec wettability. Surface topographical studies of scoured cotton fabrics by SEM had shown that the presence of rough and open primary wall 
with high protrusions in control whereas presence of lower protrusions in both enzymatic and immobilized enzyme scoured fabrics was found. Absence 
of impurities was confirmed by functional groups detected by FTIR would strongly affirm the good enough efficiency of treated fabrics.