37—THE SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY OF CHEMICALLY TREATED WOOL FIBRES

Abstract

An account is given of experiments in which wool fibres were subjected to a large variety of chemical treatments considered as being representative of those commonly used in industrial finishing. For treatments designed to produce shrink-resistance, samples of similarly treated fabrics, subsequently subjected to a felting test (based on the International Wool Secretariat Specification 7), showed the area shrinkage to be within acceptable limits.

Qualitative scanning-electron-microscope studies revealed relatively little damage to the surface topography of wool fibres when treatments were applied at the ‘normal’ level.

When some of the treated fibres were subjected to a wash test (International Organization for Standardization No. 2), partial fragmentation of the cuticle occurred after chlorination and bleaching with hydrogen peroxide. However, little damage was observed after the wash test made on fibres treated at ‘normal’ levels.

KEY WORDS (SPECIFIC TERMS):

• FIBRE SURFACE
• CHEMICAL MODIFICATION (FIBRES)
• WOOL
• FIBRES
• LINCOLN WOOL
• MERINO WOOL
• WOOL FABRICS
• SHRINK-RESISTANCE
• FELTING SHRINKAGE
• FINISH (SUBSTANCE ADDED)
• FINISHING PROCESS (GENERAL)
• CHLORINATION (SHRINK-PROOFING)
• CARBONIZING
• BLEACHING
• INTERFACIAL POLYMERIZATION
• PERACETIC ACID
• PERMONOSULPHURIC ACID
• POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE
• HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
• SODIUM CHLORIDE
• SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE
• SODIUM DICHLOROISOCYANURATE
• SODIUM DITHIONITE
• SODIUM SULPHITE
• SODIUM CARBONATE
• MELAFIX DM (TN)
• ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
• SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
• LIGHT MICROSCOPY (OPTICAL)

KEY WORDS (BROADER TERMS):

• REACTIONS (CHEMICAL)
• END-USE PROPERTIES
• FABRIC PROPERTIES
• FABRIC SHRINKAGE
• WET FINISHING
• POLYMERIZATION
• MICROSCOPY
• TESTING