Surfactants in Wool Chlorination

Abstract

The aim of this work has been to undertake a systematic study of wool chemical reactivity against sodium hypochlorite solutions at different pH levels in the absence and presence of surfactant solutions. The degradative effect on wool fibers of the oxidative treatments has been considered in terms of the cysteic acid formed as a consequence of cystine residue rupture. In addition, the adsorption of the surfactant by the fibers during the chlorination treatments has been determined, in an attempt to correlate both parameters (cysteic acid and surfactant adsorption) in order to op timize the process.