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The Treatment of Wool with Acid Permanganate Solutions
Author(s) -
ALEXANDER P.,
CARTER D.,
HUDSON R. F.
Publication year - 1949
Publication title -
journal of the society of dyers and colourists
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.297
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1478-4408
pISSN - 0037-9859
DOI - 10.1111/j.1478-4408.1949.tb02571.x
Subject(s) - wool , permanganate , chemistry , pulp and paper industry , materials science , inorganic chemistry , composite material , engineering
It is shown that wool can be rendered non–felting by treatment with dilute solutions of permanganate at a p H < 2, and the optimum conditions for treatment are described. Wool treated in this way does not felt when left even for very long periods in a washing machine, but felts as much as untreated wool when exposed to a milling action. Wool which has received prolonged permanganate oxidation treatment acquires some resistance to felting in a mill. Permanganate–treated wool shows no resistance to felting when washed in acid in a washing machine or a mill. The implications of these results for the theory of felting are discussed. The damage done to tho wool by permanganate treatment is slight and has been assessed in a number of different ways. The nature of the reaction has been studied from an analytical and a kinetic viewpoint, and it is shown that the chief reaction is an oxidation of the disulphide bond, the rate being controlled by diffusion. There is a fundamental difference between the actions of acid and alkaline permanganate. A secondary reaction with tyrosine is responsible for the yellowing of the wool. The yellow complex is shown to behave as an indicator.