Effect of Alkalies on Wool

Data on the effect of various alkaline reagents on the physical and chemical properties of wool yarn are presented. When wool is treated with dilute sodiumhydroxide solutions, a rapid splitting off of a portion of the sulphur occurs. On continued treatment, the sulphur content of the residual wool approaches a constant value of about 1.8 percent. The results indicate that the alkaline treatment has changed a portion of the sulphur to a form which tends to resist further splitting from the molecule. Oxidizing and reducing agents attack the disulphide groups and make wool more susceptible to alkaline treatments. The susceptibility of untreated wool to alkaline reagents appears to be closely associated with the lability of its sulphur in alkaline solutions. I. II. nI. CONTENTS Page Introduction ________ _____ _______ _____ ____ _______ ____ ___________ 63 Materials and methods_ _ _ _ _ __ _ ___ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ __ _ __ ______ _________ __ 64 Results and discussion___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ 65 1. Effect of alkaline reagents on wool yarn___ __________ ________ 65 2. Nature of the action of alkalies on the sulphur of wooL_ __ ____ 66 3. Effect of alkalies on wool treated with oxidizing and reducing agents______________________________________________ __ 69 IV. Conclusions_________________ _______ ________________ ___ _________ 71 V. References_ ______ ______ ___ __ _ _ _____ _ __ __ ___ ____ __ ____ _______ _ __ 71