Chemically Modified Wool

Abstract

Wools that moths cannot digest and that are several times as resistant to the action of alkalies and certain other damaging agencies can be obtained through a proc ess developed by Research Associates of the Textile Foundation at the National Bureau of Standards. Neither the softness nor the strength of the wools is impaired by the process which consists of transforming the chemical linkages of the wool that involve sulfur to more stable ones. The well known sensitivity of wool to attack by moths and to damage by alkalies constitutes its greatest defect. Hence, improved resistance to such de structive agencies should prove of value in such common uses as clothing, blankets, carpets, and in certain indus trial applications where it may be exposed to the action of harmful chemicals.