Abstract: In order to develop high quality and functional cotton product, oxidized cotton fabric was finished by chitosan and sericin. Chitosan and sericin could fix on cotton fabric through reaction between their amide and the aldehyde in oxidized cotton fiber. In this paper, chitosan and chitosan/sericin composite finishing were investigated and evaluated by antibacterial rate, wettability, stiffness and whiteness. In composite chitosan/sericin finishing, two bath processes which was padding chitosan solution firstly and padding sericin solution secondly was applied. By orthogonal experiment the process was optimized as concentration of sericin 60g/L and chitosan 10 g/L, curing at 100℃ for 2 min. The treated cotton fabric had 96% and 95% of bacterial inhibition rate against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli respectively, and the wettability and softness were good.

Key words: oxidized cotton fabric; sericin; chitosan; antibacterial rate; wettability