Effect of caustic treatment on cotton/modal blended fabric

Attempt has been made to assess the cotton/modal (60:40) blended woven fabric properties after mercerization with caustic lye of different strengths. Cotton/Modal (60:40) fabric was subjected to bulk mercerization process and subsequently dyed with reactive dyes. The colour strength, fastness properties (washing, staining and rubbing etc.), tensile and tear strength and shrinkage were characterized. The results of this study indicate that cotton/modal blended fabric that was considered in this study can be processed under similar conditions as those that are maintained for cotton fabrics generally and that the aforementioned properties are improved generally.

Study on Haloalkaliphilic Sulfur-Oxidizing Bacterium for Thiosulfate Removal in Treatment of Sulfidic Spent Caustic

Due to the disadvantages of physiochemical methods for sulfidic spent caustic treatment, attentions are drawn to the environmental-friendly biotreatments including sulfur-oxidizing halo-alkaliphiles.Thioalkalivibrio versutusDSM 13738 was grown at alkaline (pH10) autotrophic medium with sodium carbonate/bicarbonate as the sole source of carbon and amended with sodium thiosulfate as the electron and energy source. The effect of various parameters including temperature (25-40 °C), pH (8-11), NaCl concentration (0.5-5 % w/v) and sodium thiosulfate concentrations (100-750 mM) was evaluated on bacterial growth and thiosulfate removal. This strain could eliminate sodium thiosulfate at very high concentrations up to 750 mM. The results showed that the highest specific growth rate was pH 9.5 and thiosulfate removal ofThioalkalivibrio versutusoccurred at pH 10.5. The optimum salt concentration for thiosulfate removal was 2.5 % w/v and 5 % NaCl and specific growth rate elevated 2.5% w/v. It was also specified that this strain thrives occurred in 37 °C and at 35 and 37 °C higher removal of thiosulfate. Following chemical oxidation of sulfide to thiosulfate, application ofThioalkalivibrio versutuscould be promising for spent caustic treatment. Since thiosulfate is utilized as an energy source, highest removal efficiency occurred at marginally different conditions compared to optimal growth.

Improving Thermo-Physiological Comfort of Polyester/Cotton Knits by Caustic and Cellulases Treatments

Cotton is one of the most commonly used fibres for making knitwear. Some of the limitations of pure cotton knits include their tendency to shrink, relatively limited durability, and poor wash and wear properties. In order to overcome these limitations knitwear are also produced from polyester and cotton blends, however, at the cost of reduction in comfort properties. The objective of this study was to improve the thermo-physiological comfort properties of knits made from polyester/cotton (P/C) blends through simple chemical and biological treatments. The specimens of P/C knits were subjected to treatments with caustic soda solutions and the cellulase enzymes. It was found that the air permeability and perspiration management properties of P/C knits can be significantly improved by appropriate caustic treatment. However, the biological treatment with cellulase enzymes is comparatively less effective in making any improvement in the thermo-physiological comfort properties of P/C knits.

Attempts to improve the utilization of urea-treated whole-crop wheat by lactating dairy cows

This paper reports the results of three experiments designed to attempt to improve the efficiency of milk production from diets based on a 1: 2 dry matter (DM) mixture of grass silage and whole-crop wheat (WCW) harvested at 550 to 600 g DM per kg and treated with 40 g urea per kg DM. In the first experiment a control diet of the forage mixture offered ad libitum with 9 kg fresh weight (FW) per day of a concentrate mix was compared with seven treatments in which the forage or the concentrates were varied. Eight multiparous cows were used in a four-period incomplete change-over design with 4-week periods. Caustic treatment of the WCW increased DM intake (P < 0·001) but tendencies for higher yields of milk and milk protein were not significant. Replacement of 2 kg FW concentrates per day by the same weight of molasses as a 24-h pre-soak of the forage (molasses pre-treatment) or added to the forage at feeding increased DM intake (P < 0·001) but did not increase milk yield or yield of milk solids. Molasses pre-treatment and molasses added to the concentrates reduced milk protein concentration (P < 0·05). Replacement of 2 kg FW concentrates per day by the same weight of ground wheat increased DM intake when added to the concentrates (P < 0·001) but not when added to the forage and milk yield was unaffected by either method of addition. The ground wheat tended to reult in higher milk protein concentrations than the molasses. Increasing the digestible undegradable protein content of the concentrates had no significant effect on food intake or milk production. In the second experiment diet digestibility and energy and nitrogen (N) balance were measured for the control diet and three of the treatments from experiment 1 in four multiparous cows in a 4 ✕ 4 Latin-square experiment with 5-week periods. There were no significant effects on food intake or milk yield. Caustic treatment reduced starch digestibility (P < 0·001) and increased neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) digestibility (P < 0·05) but had no effects on energy utilization. It also reduced N intake (P < 0·01) and urine N losses (P < 0·001) by reducing the ammonia concentration of the WCW. Molasses added to the forage or concentrates reduced milk protein concentration (P < 0·05) and digestibility of both starch and NDF (P < 0·05) but energy utilization was unaffected. In a further Latin-square experiment with the same treatments and four fistulated lactating cows, caustic treatment reduced daily mean ammonia concentration (P < 0·01) and increased daily mean pH (P < 0·01) in the rumen. It is concluded that these treatments did not generally improve the value of WCW although caustic treatment increased milk yield and milk protein yield consistently but not significantly. However practical problems may limit its use on the farm. Urea-treated WCW must be accepted as being a relatively low-energy food although with high intake characteristics, and future work should concentrate on evaluating WCW harvested at an earlier stage of maturity.