Bleaching of jute with peracetic acid

The use of peracetic acid as a bleaching agent for jute fabrics has been investigated. The optimum bleaching results are obtained at 70°C around pH 6.5 for all the concentrations studied. A comparison of peracetic acid bleaching with. the conventional peroxide bleaching shows that peracetic acid bleaching is more effective in reducing the losses in width, weight and tensile strength. The improvement in handle/feel and the low ash content of the peracetic acid bleached jute fabrics Have been attributed to silicate-free bleaching. SEM and IR studies of the bleached jute samples also show improvement in the properties of peracetic acid bleached samples.