Enhancing surface performance of wool using reduced ionic liquid

Abstract

Wool surface modification is essential for its application in the textile industry. In this work, a novel approach using reduced ionic liquid (IL) was applied to modify the surface of wool and enhance surface-related properties of wool for overcoming the unsustainable drawbacks in the present methods. The results from the surface morphology indicated that the wool was gradually dissolved from the outside to the inside of the fiber. The treated wool was characterized using the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), fluorescence microscopy and the Allwörden reaction. Moreover, felting shrinkage, mechanical properties, and dyeing properties of the treated wool were analyzed. Disulfide bonds were cleaved during the process from XPS test. The Allwörden reaction and fluorescence analysis showed damaged scale layer on the wool surface and an intact fiber main body with an acceptable loss of mechanical properties. Compared with the untreated wool, the anti-felting properties and dyeing performance improved due to the cleavage of disulfide bonds and the removal of the lipid layer, indicating that the treatment could modify the wool surface. Overall, the study supports a novel, facile and highly efficient approach for preparing a value-adding natural protein fiber with a potential for large-scale production.

Keywords:

• Reduced ionic liquid
• wool
• surface performance

Disclosure statement

There are no conflicts of interest to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51673087); National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFB0309200);- Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (KYCX20_1784, KYCX17_1436), the authors thanks for the support from the International Joint Research Laboratory for Eco-Textile Technology at Jiangnan University.