Multiresponse optimization in amylolytic desizing of viscose fabric in the copresence of ferrous ions and an anionic surfactant

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effect of the copresence of ferrous (Fe2+) ions and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the activity of an amylase enzyme during the desizing of greige viscose fabric for potential industrial applications. The removal of starches is an essential step before processing the fabric for dyeing and finishing operations. The authors tend to accomplish it in eco-friendly and sustainable ways. Design/methodology/approach The experiments were designed under the Taguchi approach, and the results were analyzed using grey relational analysis to optimize the process. The textile properties of absorbency, reducing sugars, bending length, weight loss, Tegawa rating and tensile strength were assessed using the standard protocols. The control and optimized viscose specimens were investigated for certain surface chemical properties using advanced analytical techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Findings The results demonstrate that the Fe2+ concentration and process time were the main influencing factors in the amylolytic desizing of viscose fabric. The optimized process conditions were found to be 0.1 mm Fe2+ ions, 3 mm SDS, 80°C, 7 pH and 30 min process time. The copresence of Fe2+ ions and SDS promoted the biodesizing of viscose fabric. The SEM, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, XRD and TGA results demonstrated that the sizing agent has efficiently been removed from the fabric surface. Practical implications The amylase desizing of viscose fabric in the presence of certain metal ions and surfactants is a significant subject as the enzyme may face them due to their prevalence in the water systems. This could also support the biodesizing and bioscouring operations to be done in one bath, thus making the textile pretreatment process both economical and environmentally sustainable. Originality/value The authors found no report on the biodesizing of viscose fabric in the copresence of Fe2+ ions and the SDS surfactant under statistical multiresponse optimization. The biodesized viscose fabric has been investigated using both conventional and analytical approaches.