The Treatment of Wool with Aqueous Dispersions of Self-Crosslinking Polyacrylates

Abstract

A study of the treatment of wool with a series of self-cross-linking polyacrylates has shown a wide range of possible uses in wool finishing. The softer polyacrylates give better resistance to felting and a higher increase in abrasion resistance than the harder polymers, and are more generally useful since reductions in felting, tumble drying shrink age, and pilling, and increases in tensile strength and abrasion resistance are obtained with no significant changes in stiffness, tear strength, or wrinkle recovery. However, the harder polymers can be used to obtain improved washability and durability of wool fabrics, together with increased stiffness and fullness if desired. Reduced felting is probably due to partial covering of fiber surfaces by polymer. rather than to fiber bonding, but some bonding can occur and this may produce such properties of polymer-treated wool such as reduced pilling and resistance to tumble drying shrinkage.