Enzyme-treated cotton
Also known as: Bio-polished cotton
Cotton fabric whose surface has been smoothed and softened by cellulase enzymes.
Description
Enzyme-treated cotton describes cotton fabrics or knits that have been treated with cellulase enzymes during finishing to remove protruding fibre ends and smooth the surface. The technical term is bio-polishing. The effect: visibly cleaner yarn appearance, softer hand, richer colours and significantly reduced pilling tendency over the entire garment life.
The process runs either as a separate finishing step in the dye house (continuous machines or jets) or in combination with enzyme wash on the finished garment. On fine single jerseys for women's T-shirts bio-polishing is virtually standard because the fabric would otherwise form ugly pilling nubs after a few washes. On bed linen the effect is valued for the silky hand.
Downside is slight loss of strength (2-5 percent), minimised by controlled process management. Combined processes with peroxide bleaching and bio-polishing save one step and water. The treatment is compatible with GOTS and OEKO-TEX because the enzymes used are biodegradable.
Properties
| Process | Bio-polishing with cellulases |
|---|---|
| Result | Clean surface, softer hand, no pilling |
| Colour fastness | Improved by cleaner yarn appearance |
Related product categories
Sources & references
2- Wikipedia: Biopolishing Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biopolishing
- GOTS Standard GOTS — Global Organic Textile Standard https://global-standard.org/
