Biodegradability of cellulose fabrics

Abstract

Biodegradability of cellulose fabrics was evaluated by use of a soil burial test, an activated sewage sludge test, and an enzyme hydrolysis. Surface changes after biodegradation were observed by optical microscopy. From X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), changes in the crystallinities and the internal structures as a result of degradation were also investigated. It was shown that biodegradability decreased in the following order: rayon > cotton ≫ acetate. Rayon fibers, which have a low crystallinity and a low degree of orientation, showed the highest biodegradability in most cases. However, in spite of its low crystallinity, acetate fibers exhibited very low biodegradability, probably because of the presence of hydrophobic groups in its structure. On the other hand, linen showed an inconsistent be havior in that it had the highest biodegradability in the soil burial test, but a lower biodegradability than that of cotton in the activated sewage sludge test. XRD analysis revealed that there was a slight increase in the crystallinity of linen, cotton, and rayon fabrics at the initial stage, but a continuous decrease thereafter. From the correlation analysis, it was revealed that the biodegradability of cellulose fabrics was closely related to the moisture regain of the fibers, which reflects the hydrophilicity and internal structure of the fibers at the same time. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.