Total chlorine free laser bleaching of cellulosic fabrics using sodium peroxocarbonate aqueous solutions

Abstract

Natural colored compounds adsorbed or chemically bound on cellulosic fabrics were bleached effectively by a selective photolysis of the colored compounds using KrF, XeCl, and XeF excimer lasers in the presence of sodium peroxocarbonate aqueous solutions at room temperature. The efficiency of the bleaching was found to be KrF < XeCl ≈ XeF and the decrease of the tensile strength was completely suppressed by the use of the XeF laser.