Attempts to Introduce Amide Cross-Links into Wool

Peptide-forming reagents have been Applied to wool in an attempt to convert "salt links" into amide cross-links. Wool which has been modified with biscyclohexyl carbodi imide is almost unchanged in weight, handle, and appearance but has increased resistance to attack by alkali, alkaline thioglycollate, urea-bisultite, and trypsin. The mechanism of the changes involved is not known. The extraction of wool with alkaline thioglycollate solutions has been developed as a routine test.