Cv Apparel (trading As Precision Processes Textiles)

Objectives and content The finishing of cotton textiles using cellulolytic enzymes provides environmentally acceptable routes to achieving certain fashionable and desirable effects such as the stone-washed appearance of denims and the defuzzing and softening of other cotton fabrics. The cellulases that are currently used, however, are crude mixtures which tend to cause unacceptable levels of fabric strength loss. Furthermore the processing methods being applied are difficult to control. The results are not sufficiently predictable and reproducible for quality conscious customers. Advances in biotechnology have permitted isolation of the individual enzyme components and the development of recombinant DNA techniques has made it possible to manipulate the genes of cellulase secreting fungi. Using these techniques new strains can be developed enabling industrial production of novel cellulase compositions. These may provide the opportunity for achieving radically new cellulase finishing effects, as well as improving the existing ones. The objectives of this project are therefore: - To elucidate the mechanisms of cellulolytic hydrolysis of cotton textiles in sufficient detail to enable the development and production of new, tailor-made cellulase compositions which will deliver specific finishing effects on specific fabric constructions. - To use cellulase compositions from i) to achieve currently applied cellulase finishing effects (such as the ageing of denims and the de-fuzzing of cotton garments) with a greater degree of control and reproducibility, and with a significant reduction in fabric strength loss. - To develop new processing methodology suited to achieving cellulase finishing effects on a wider range of cotton fabric constructions and using a wider variety of textile processing machinery. - To develop a cellulase based finishing process which achieves significant improvements in the dimensional stability of knitted cotton fabrics. - To improve the objective measurement methodologies required for monitoring the effects of cellulolytic treatments on cotton textiles. In order to achieve these objectives the consortium combines the expertise of an enzyme producer (PRIMALCO), a biotechnology research institute (VTT), a textile research institute (CITEVE), a company specialising in the development and marketing of textile chemicals and processes (PPT) and a textile finisher (TAS). PRIMALCO and VTT will produce and isolate individual cellulase components. VTT and CITEVE will investigate mechanisms of cellulolytic hydrolysis of cotton on the micro, small and medium scale. PPT and TAS will develop textile processing methodology on semi-scale and full-sized machinery.