Influences of Different Enzymatic Treatment on Denim Garment Majid Montazer & Ali Sadeghian Maryan Received: 12 March 2009 / Accepted: 26 July 2009 # Humana Press 2009 Abstract In current study, the effects of different enzymatic treatment including acid cellulases, neutral cellulases, and combination of laccases with cellulases on denim garment were investigated. The color changes of different samples were compared by colorimetric indices for the garment surface and back and also white pocket. Abrasion resistance, tensile strength, and crease recovery angle of the samples were measured within the standard methods. Also, surfaces of the treated samples were observed by SEM. The results showed that the combination of laccases with cellulases help to improve the lightness and decrease staining on both back of garment and on white pocket. Keywords Cellulases . Laccases . Lightness . Washing . Denim Introduction Denim fabric is usually produced with twill weave and indigo-dyed warp and white weft yarns [1]. Surfaces of the fabric play an important role in enzymatic decolorization of cellulosic fiber. This can have influences on the outset layers of cellulosic crystalline, and then the available part of cellulosic fiber increases and allows dye removal [2]. It is considerable that denim stonewashing process is treated on finished clothes; therefore, the staining on back of garment and white pocket is a basic problem. One of the major factors causes high indigo backstaining on denim fabrics (redeposition of dye on white yarns of denim) is the high ability of cellulases protein to bind cellulose. In this case, the basic mechanism of indigo redeposition should involve binding of dye to the enzyme molecules adsorbed on the surface of cellulose fibers. This mechanism implies that the enzyme molecules must have surface sites capable to bind indigo [3–5]. The structure of indigo molecule and its properties indicate that there may be two Appl Biochem Biotechnol DOI 10.1007/s12010-009-8727-4 M. Montazer (*) Textile Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Center of Excellence in Textile, Hafez Avenue, Tehran, Iran e-mail: tex5mm@aut.ac.ir A. Sadeghian Maryan Textile Engineering Department, Islamic Azad University of South Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran