The Treatment of Wool with Acid Bromate Solutions

Abstract

A study has been made of the reaction of acid bromate solutions with wool. In hydrochloric acid solution, bromate and chloride ions react to give a mixture of bromine and chlorine, the halogens then reacting with the wool to produce unshrinkability. The reaction is activated by the addition of strong reducing agents, and in the majority of cases part of the bromate is reduced to bromide, the bromide then reacting with urf changed bromate to produce bromine. In the case of reactions involving aldehydes such as formaldehyde and glyoxal, a different mechanism is probably involved since addition of moderate amounts of silver salts does not affect the rate of reaction or the degree of unshrinkability produced.