BIODEGRADATION OF CELLULOSE FIBERS -- CONTENTS -- ABSTRACT -- INTRODUCTION -- MATERIALS FOR FINISHING AND APPLICATION METHODS -- ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR THE EVALUATION OF MATERIALS AND FINISHES -- 3.1. SOIL BURIAL TEST -- 3.2. SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (SEM) AND ENERGY-DISPERSIVE X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY (EDXS) -- 3.3. ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY (AFM) -- 3.4. BREAKING STRENGTH -- 3.5. DEGREE OF POLYMERIZATION (DP) -- 3.6 FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED (FT-IR) SPECTROSCOPY -- 3.7. X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY (XPS) -- 3.8. INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA MASS SPECTROSCOPY (ICP-MS) -- 3.9. MICROBIOLOGICAL TESTS -- 3.9.1. Fungicidal Activity -- 3.9.2. Bactericidal Activity -- 3.10. ASSESSMENT OF WWETTING PROPERTIES -- 3.11. ASSESSMENT OF WASHING FASTNESS -- BIODEGRADATION OF UNTREATED CELLULOSE FIBERS -- 4.1. FIBERS BURIED IN SOIL -- 4.2. FT-IR SPECTRA OF DEGRADED FIBERS -- INHIBITION OF CELLULOSE BIODEGRADATION BY CHEMICAL MODIFICATION -- 5.1. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE ANTIMICROBIAL PROTECTION -- 5.1.1. Active Antimicrobial Activity of AG-RB Finish -- Mechanism of Biocidal Activity of AgCl in the Oxide Matrix -- Structure of Cellulose Fibers Modified by AG-RB Finish -- Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity of AG-RB Coating -- 5.1.2. Passive Antimicrobial Activity of FAS and DMeDHEU Finishes -- Structure of Cellulose Fibers Modified by FAS and DMeDHEU Finishes -- Biodegradation of Cellulose Fibers Modified by FAS and DMeDHEU Finishes -- SOL-GEL FINISHES FOR PASSIVE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY -- 6.1. SOL-GEL PRECURSORS AS MATERIAL OF CHOICE -- 6.2. STRUCTURE OF CELLULOSE FIBERS MODIFIED BY PFOTES-PDMSU AND AP2PF2IO4 POSS FINISHES -- 6.3. HYDROPHOBICITY AND OLEOPHOBICITY OF THE SOL- GEL MODIFIED FIBERS -- 6.4. THE INFLUENCE OF LOW SURFACE FREE ENERGY OF THE MODIFIED COTTON FIBERS ON THE BACTERIAL REDUCTION -- CONCLUSION -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

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