Reaction of Wool with Oxidizing Agents in Concentrated Salt Solutions

Concentrated salt solutions protect wool from oxidative degradation. Oxidizing agents produce a higher degree of shrink resistance in concentrated salt solutions than in the absence of salt. Many oxidations, followed by a reduction, shrinkproof wool when either treatment alone does not.

Results support the idea [20, 46] that attack on disulfide bonds is the only primary reaction during chemical shrinkproofing and that attack at some other point of the protein structure need not occur. However, breaking of disulfide bonds is not sufficient in itself to produce shrinkproofing effects, and the exact nature of chemical changes leading to shrinkproofing is unknown. No conclusive evidence has been found to decide whether or not changes in frictional properties are the general cause of shrinkproofing.

Evidence is given that, under conditions where swelling is less than in simple aqueous solutions, reaction still occurs throughout wool fibers rather than only at the surface.

The results do not agree with theories which suggest that shrinkproofing is due in some way to formation of degraded layers of protein material in wool fibers.