Physical and chemical properties of surface modified wool by oxidation reduction method

The scales of wool fabric were stripped through potassium permanganate oxidation method and thiourea dioxide reduction method. The chemical and physical properties of wool fabrics before and after scale stripping treatment were characterized by scanning electron microscopy( SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy( XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflectance( FT-IR/ATR). SEM results showed that the surface of the wool fabrics after scale stripping treatment exhibited smoother on the surface and little ladder-shaped structure on the edge of the fabrics. XPS and FTIR-ATR examination showed that the methods mentioned above broke the disulfide-bond and modified or removed the lipid substances on the surface of the fabrics and hence improved their wettability,and achieved good results in strength retention,whiteness,and fiber slenderizing. However,the residue char length,limiting oxygen index,as well as thermal stability dropped.