Shrink-Resistant Properties and Surface Characteristics of Wool Fibers Treated with Multifunctional Epoxides

Abstract

Shrink-resistant properties and surface characteristics were investigated for wool fibers treated with hydrophilic multifunctional epoxides (glycerol polyglycidyl ether—GPE). Two different reaction conditions were used for the treatment, one in a saturated NaCl aqueous solution (S sample ) and the other in the absence of NaCl (W sample). Add- on percentages of both samples were almost the same. On the other hand, both shrink- resistant properties and surface characteristics were different for these two samples, showing that the reaction medium strongly affected the reaction mode of GPE. The degree of shrink-resistance of the W sample did not improve, while that of the S sample was much improved and almost equal to Cl/Hercostt (commercially) treated wool fibers. FTIR analyses showed that the surface concentration of GPE in the S sample was lower than that in the W sample, reflecting that the hydrophobic nature of the scale surface was maintained for the S sample and not the W sample. SEM observation results revealed prominent scale edges for the W sample but not for the S sample. These results explain the differences in shrink-resistant properties for the two samples.