Fiber Damage in the Stock-Dyeing of Wool

Abstract

The tenacity of wool is often reduced in stock-dyeing processes. As a result of this, many fibers are broken in the card. This reduction in tenacity has usually been ascribed to a damaging effect of the dye. However, our investigations show that most of the reduction in fiber strength is due to setting of bends or curvatures of the packed fibers by the hot water treatment. Such set fiber bends are nonuniformlv strained by tensions and thus resist smaller toads than fibers set in the straight state.