Reactive dye dyeability of cellulose fibers with cellulase treatment

Reactive dye dyeing was performed on cellulose fibers in combination with cellulase treatment. First, polynosic and cupra fibers were selected to discuss the saturation dye uptake of the previously cellulase-treated fibers. Cupra fiber exhibited a similar saturation dyeuptake dependence on weight loss, irrespective of dye species and the substantivity of the dyes. In the polynosic fiber, the saturation dye-uptake dependence on weight loss exhibited a minimum using a lower substantive dye and a maximum using a higher substantive dye. Comparative discussions of the saturation dye uptake based on X-ray and infrared measurements led to the assumption that a region dyeable with the higher substantive dye is created by the cellulase treatment of the polynosic fiber. This region is assumed to have some degree of order as shown by infrared spectroscopy. Next, cotton fiber, which is important from a practical viewpoint, is dyed and then hydrolyzed. It was found that the hydrolysis of cotton fiber dyed with a reactive monofunctional dye was retarded almost in the same manner as that dyed with Congo Red. The hydrolysis of cotton fiber dyed with dyes of higher substantivity and more bifunctional property was probably retarded to a greater extent compared to dyes of lower substantivity and less bifunctional property.