Abstract
Cotton fabrics were treated by low temperature plasma and/or cellulase, and its physical and dyeing properties were investigated. All the pretreatments of the cotton with low temperature plasma of oxygen, nitrogen and argon slowed down the rate of weight loss of cotton in cellulase solution. Plasma pretreatment did not show any strength retention effect on cotton fiber in the subsequent cellulase treatment. Pretreatment of cotton with low temperature oxygen plasma decreased the rate of dyeing in direct dye bath, while cellulase or plasma/cellulase pretreatment increased the rate. Equilibrium dye uptake of cotton was not changed greatly by the pretreatments except the normal untreated cotton showed more or less high uptake. The pretreatment of cellulase with a water-soluble carbodiimide reduced the enzymatic activity, and did not show any strength retention of cotton in enzymatic weight loss.