The Action of Periodic Acid and its Salts on Wool

Abstract

In the present work, the action of periodic acid and periodate on wool was investi gated. Reaction of periodate with wool at 35°C is highly dependent on the pH of the reaction medium. Wool absorbs iodate and periodate ions and this sorption attains limiting values dependent on the pH of the reaction solution. An equilibrium takes place between sorption of periodate and desorption of iodate ions, depending mainly on the concentration of iodate ions in solution. The rate of reaction of wool with per iodate is very high at the start, but it slows down and, after a while, it attains a constant value. The rate of reaction of periodate with wool seems to be independent of the periodate concentration in the solution and depends mainly on the iodate concentration.