Distribution modes and possible origins of sheep wool hydrocarbons

An unusual mode of distribution of low-molecular-weight n-alkanes (C₁₁-C₁₅) with a slight even carbon-number predominance has been observed in the gas Chromatographic analysis of the paraffin fraction which was extracted from the wool of live sheep. This is in addition to the other two modes of medium-, C₁₅-C₂₄, and high-, C₂₄-C₃₃, molecular-weight alkanes usually present in wool wax which have also been found in sheep’s manure. The high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons (predominantly odd carbon-numbered) are presumed to be derived from the diet (pasture plants) whereas the other two hydrocarbon distributions probably result from the combined action of animal and microbial metabolism.     

Creating a high-quality wool-oriented Turkish merino herd and investigation of mechanical and dyeability properties of fabrics produced from Turkish merino in comparison with Australian merino

Today, the need for quality wool suitable for worsted fabric production in the world is mainly met by Australian merino wool. In Turkey, which has a significant sheep population, in addition to domestic breeds, approximately 10% of the total sheep population (around four million head) is composed of merino cross breeds. However, the fleece quality is far from meeting Australian merino wool standards. Therefore, the aim of this study is to ensure a merino herd with high-quality wool in Turkey. For this aim, by carrying out field studies in the Thrace region of Turkey where Turkish Merino sheep are widely bred, sheep with fleece that can meet the demands of the worsted industry were determined. As a result of field studies in which thousands of sheep were examined, it was determined that 43 female and 10 male sheep had fleece that would meet these standards. Then the breeders of the sheep, which had quality fleece, were persuaded and these sheep were purchased, and “Turkey's wool-oriented Turkish (Karacabey) Merino Herd” consisting of 30 sheep and three rams was formed in the farm of Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University. In the second part of this study, a 100% wool fabric produced by using Australian merino was taken as a reference and it was aimed to produce the same fabric from Turkish merino wool. For this aim, the wool-oriented Turkish Merino herd, which was bred at the university farm for 1 year, was shorn in May 2022. Then, Turkish and Australian merino wools were first converted into worsted yarn and then into woven fabric. The results of mechanical (tensile strength, pilling, abrasion resistance, felting shrinkage, Hofmann dimensional change, bending stiffness) and dyeability (dye-uptake, CIE L*a*b* and colour yield (K/S) values; washing, rubbing and light fastness values) properties of fabrics produced from Turkish and Australian merino wool is presented.     

Chemical and mechanical properties of butyl methacrylate grafted wool fiber

Because polymer‐grafted wool fibers had been reported to have better functional performance, a K₂S₂O₈–NaHSO₃ redox system was used as the initiator for the grafting copolymerization of butyl methacrylate (BMA) onto wool fibers. Grafted samples of wool‐g‐BMA with different grafting percentages (5.2–25.86) were obtained through variations in the monomer concentration in the reaction system. The evidence for grafting was provided by scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. After the grafting, the moisture retention of the wool‐g‐BMA fibers decreased slightly. Optical measurements showed that the birefringence decreased, indicating a lower degree of molecular orientation of the wool‐g‐BMA fibers. The tensile strength increased as the grafting percentage increased. Beyond an 18–25% grafting percentage, the elongation at break decreased, and this indicated a reduction of the elastic deformation, which meant that the flexibility of the modified fibers may have deteriorated. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 3813–3817, 2004     

Characterization of wool graft copolymers

In the present article, characterization of wool grafted with acrylate monomers such as methyl methacrylate (MMA), methylacrylate (MA), ethylacrylate (EA), and butylacrylate (BA) with respect to thermal behavior and viscosity average molecular weight (M_v ) is described. The modified wool shows improved thermal behavior.     

A novel strategy to improve the dyeing properties in laccase-mediated coloration of wool fabric

Enzymatic coloration of fabrics has received worldwide attention in recent years. In order to improve the dyeing properties of enzymatically coloured fabrics, a novel strategy using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC), a biological coupling agent, to pretreat wool fabric was employed in this paper. Enzymatic coloration of wool fabrics with syringic acid was carried out in the presence of laccase from Trametes versicolor. The effect of different periods on laccase-catalysed polymerisation of syringic acid was examined by UV-vis spectroscopy. Enzymatic coloration results of dyed wool fabrics were evaluated by means of K/S value and colour difference (∆E*). Process parameters, including the dosages of syringic acid and incubation time, that influenced the colour depth were studied. Meanwhile, the colour fastness and levelness of dyed wool fabrics were tested. The results showed that the UV-vis absorbance of reaction solution increased as oxidation time elapsed, and a new peak appeared at 360 nm. After pretreatment, the K/S values and colour difference values of wool fabrics dyed with poly(syringic acid) improved appreciably compared with the control samples without any pretreatment. Moreover, pretreated wool fabrics showed better dyeing fastness and levelness than control samples.     

The influence of copper(II) ions on wool photostability in the dry state

It has been hypothesised that the presence of trace metals in wool, notably copper and iron, has an influence on the formation of free radicals under irradiation and thereby affects the photostability of wool and wool products, particularly in the wet state. There has been limited research evaluating the influence of copper ions on wool photodiscoloration. This study examined the relative photodiscoloration of wool bound with varied amounts of copper(II) ions under UVA, UVB and blue light irradiation in the dry state. Total reflectance and visible/near‐infrared absorbance spectra, tryptophan‐type fluorescence (λ_ex = 295 nm, λ_em = 340 nm) and photoinduced chemiluminescence emissions of natural wool and copper(II)‐treated wool were characterised and contrasted. CIELAB colour space, D1925 yellowness and CIE whiteness values measured from irradiated wool samples indicate that wool treated with copper(II) solution at a higher concentration yellowed faster and experienced greater overall colour changes under UVA and UVB irradiation, whereas copper(II)‐treated wool seemed to be more photostable than untreated natural wool under blue light irradiation. It was also observed that binding copper ions to wool resulted in decreased tryptophan‐type fluorescence and photoinduced chemiluminescence emissions relative to untreated natural wool.     

Color evaluation of wool fabric dyed with Rhizoma coptidis extract

Berberine is the only cationic colorant of natural plant dyes, which lies in the roots of Rhizoma coptidis and stems of phellodendron. In this study, wool fabric was dyed with the extracts of R. coptidis. Color evaluation was characterized with ΔE, L*, a*, b*, c*, H⁰, K/S. Effects of mordant, extraction concentration, pH value of dye bath, and treatment temperature on color values were studied. Results indicated that wool fabrics dyed with mordant, or at higher temperature, or in alkali solution possessed deeper shades and darker colors. And the wool fabric showed good antibacterial property after dyeing with R. coptidis extracts. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 3376–3380, 2006     

Graft copolymerization of benzyl methacrylate onto wool fibers

Benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) was graft copolymerized onto wool fibers by using ammonium peroxydisulphate as the initiator. Grafted samples with different polymer add ons (from 7 to 180%) were obtained by varying the monomer concentration in the reaction system. Following grafting with BzMA, the X-ray diffraction peak at 20.2° slightly moved towards higher spacing values. Birefringence decreased, indicating a lower degree of molecular orientation of grafted wool fibers. The equilibrium regain values of grafted wool decreased with increasing add on. Tensile strength increased in the range 45–77% add on, while elongation at break decreased. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG) measurements showed a higher thermal stability for grafted wool. Following grafting, the drop of dynamic storage modulus (E′) shifted to a lower temperature. Accordingly, the intensity of the loss modulus (E′) peak decreased, indicating that the thermally induced molecular motion was enhanced by grafting. Thermomechanical analysis (TMA) confirmed the increase in chain mobility for the grafted wool fibers. Above 35–40% add on, the presence of homopolymer on the surface of the wool fibers was identified by scanning electron microscopy. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 64: 343–350, 1997     

Preparation of regenerated wool keratin films from wool keratin–ionic liquid solutions

The regenerated wool keratin films were prepared from the wool keratin/ionic liquid solutions through water, methanol and ethanol as coagulation solvents in this article. It could be suggested from the results that [AMIM]⁺·Cl^? ionic liquid has higher solubility for wool keratin fibers than [BMIM]⁺·Cl^? ionic liquid. IR data showed the part of the disulfide bonds was broken during the dissolution. It could be seen from XRD data that the regenerated films exhibited a β‐sheet structure and the disappearance of the α‐helix structure. TGA curves indicated that the thermal stability of regenerated wool keratin films decreased slightly compared to nature wool fibers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Hydrothermal pretreatment for the preparation of wool powders

Wool powders with low solubility could be easily prepared from wool fibers by combining hydrothermal pretreatment (HTP) and grinding processes. Transforming wool fibers into powders was the first step of exploiting wool as new materials such as bio‐thermoplastics. However, wool fibers were difficult to be prepared into powders only by grinding due to their toughness. This article used a chemical‐free method to obtain wool powders by grinding HTP‐treated wool fibers. Wool fibers after HTP at 130°C for 40 min or above were obviously easier to be broken into snippets with lengths of 25–150 μm after grinding for 1 min and shapeless super‐fine powders with diameters of 3–15 μm after ball milling for 10 min. Wool fibers after HTP were brittle mainly owing to decrease of α‐helices and S? S bonds. Combination of HTP and grinding could be an eco‐friendly and feasible treatment to prepare wool powders on industrial scale. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40173.     

Eco-friendly approach on wool pretreatment and effect on the wool structure and dyeability

This research investigated the effect of various proteolytic enzymatic pretreatment on morphological and chemical features and the dyeability properties of wool fibres. Scoured merino wool fibres are treated with protease, papain, trypsin, and pepsin in specified conditions. Each enzyme activity measurement was provided by appropriate methods such as Bradford, BAPNA (N-benzoyl-1-arginine-p-nitroanilide), and BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin). Enzymatic processes were carried out for 24 h in the incubator set at 40°C, 100 rpm, and specified pH with 1 mg/ml enzyme concentration. Whiteness index (Stensby) and yellowness index (ASTM D 1925) were examined after enzymatic pretreatment. Pepsin and trypsin-treated wool fibres showed the highest whiteness index as 61.3 and 61.1, respectively whilst untreated wool fibres had 52.2. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis revealed the increase in the intensity of amide-related bands and hydroxyl bands after enzymatic treatment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) photomicrographs manifested the cuticle layer is partially removed in enzyme-treated fibres. Elemental identification was provided by SEM–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). It appears that the sulphur bonds decreased after the treatment and the pepsin-treated fibres have fewer bonds of all. To examine the damage to the structure, photomicrographs were taken using fluorescence and light microscopes. The alkali solubility test (ASTM D1283) was also conducted to compare different enzyme types. Wool fibres were dyed in 2.0% concentration with reactive dyestuff. Dyeability and colorimetric features of fibres were measured by a spectrophotometer. The washing fastness test showed that all the samples have good results and the colour change after washing was better in enzyme-treated samples (grade 5) compared to untreated wool fibres (grade 4–5).     

Multifunctional wool fiber treated with <Emphasis Type="Italic">ɛ</Emphasis>-polylysine

A creative method for fabricating environmentally-benign multifunctional wool fibers was established and reported. Through coating the wool fibers with ɛ-polylysine, the surface morphology and biochemical properties of the fibers were altered, enhancing their antimicrobial, hygroscopic and finished properties. The process of ɛ-polylysine coating was dependent on the solution environment, which influenced the electrostatic interactions between ɛ-polylysine molecules and wool fibers. The results showed that a maximum ɛ-polylysine coating (23.60 mg/g) on the surface of wool fibers was reached when wool fibers were soaked at 50 °C for 2 h in the solution with 10% on weight of fabric (owf) ɛ-polylysine and pH 8.0. The coated wool fiber showed promising antimicrobial rates of 96.98% and 97.93% against Escherichia coli and Micrococcus luteus, respectively. The wool fiber coated with the ɛ-polylysine was more hydrophilic than the uncoated wool fabrics. The functional wool fibers after water scrubbing for two times still have good antibacterial efficiency against Escherichia coli and Micrococcus luteus, and antimicrobial rates were 96.77% and 97.33%, respectively. This study shows that wool fibers modified by the nontoxic ɛ-polylysine have a great potential to be used in constructing multifunctional textiles.     

Oxygen plasma pretreatment improves dyeing and antimicrobial properties of wool fabric dyed with natural extract from pomegranate peel

This paper presents the application of conventional potassium aluminium sulphate wool mordanting and a biochemical method with silver nitrate (as antimicrobial agent and mordant)_, alone and in combination with oxygen plasma, as part of comprehensive research into pretreatment processes for wool dyeing with natural extract from pomegranate peel (Punica granatum L.). Pretreatment with oxygen plasma significantly improved the hydrophilicity and tensile strength of all tested samples and showed that oxygen plasma can improve K/S, washing fastness, and even replace certain mordants in wool dyeing with natural pomegranate dye. All dyed samples exhibited good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, which can be contributed to the phenol content in pomegranate dye. Only after 28 days of intensive ageing in natural weathering conditions did K/S and antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae slightly decrease in dyed samples pretreated with oxygen plasma.     

Sorption behavior of mercuric and methylmercuric salts on wool

Sorption by wool of mercuric nitrate, mercuric chloride, and methylmercuric chloride was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Both inorganic mercury compounds are efficiently taken up at low concentrations from acid solution. The rate of binding from the nitrate is appreciably slower than from the chloride. Methylmercuric chloride is bound slowly at low pH, rapidly at pH 6. The extent of its binding is roughly 10% to 20% of that of the inorganic salts. The wool-bound mercury can be recovered by serial extraction with aqueous citrate or ethylenediaminetetraacetate at pH 6. The residual, firmly bound mercury is roughly equivalent to the sulfhydryl sulfur. Sorption of inorganic mercury compounds at low pH roughly follows a Freundlich isotherm in the concentration range 5×10^-6 to 10^?1M. Sorption of methylmercurie chloride at pH 6 follows a roughly parallel isotherm in the range 5×10^?6 to 10^?3M. These data suggest the potential value of wool and other animal keratins to remove and recover mercury from contaminated water. Wool may also serve as an instructive model for mercury binding and release in the body.     

The removal of pesticide residues from wool wax by solvent extraction

A range of suitable solvents for the removal of dieldrin and diazinon residues from wool wax by solvent-solvent extraction was evaluated. Extraction of a 10% solution of wool wax in hexane with N,N-dimethylformamide was shown to be the most effective. These solvents were then used to meanure the partition coefficients of 36 organochlorine, organophosphorus, and pyrethroid pesticides that have the potential to be found in wool wax. Repeated batchwise extraction of a raw wool wax, which had been spiked to produce typical pesticide residue levels, yielded a high-quality wax in which all pesticide residues had been reduced to below detectable levels. The treated wool wax was lighter in color with a lower acid number and a lower free alcohol content and had excellent water absorption characteristics. All detergents associated with the recovery of wool wax from an aqueous scour were also removed.     

Evaluation of wool nanoparticles incorporation in chitosan/gelatin composite films

The aim of this work was to develop chitosan/gelatin composite films embedded with various amounts of wool nanoparticles, which were produced by an environmental friendly process. Films loaded with wool nanoparticles were subjected to physiochemical, biological, and mechanical characterization. The obtained results showed that incorporation of wool nanoparticles into chitosan/gelatin composite led to a reduction in swelling, moisture content and dissolution degree of the films. In vitro degradation test revealed that the nanoparticles‐embedded composites had a lower degradation rate than that of chitosan/gelatin composite. Besides, composite films containing wool nanoparticles showed an improvement in the stability in phosphate buffered saline. On the other hand, tensile strength and elongation at break decreased upon loading the films with wool nanoparticles. The biocompatibility of the produced composites was also confirmed by MTT test. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40294.     

Kinetics of graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate in wool fibers

The graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate in wool fibers was investigated in the aqueous LiBr–K₂S₂O₈ system without homopolymer. The rate of grafting and the degree of polymerization of graft polymer were determined on varying the extent of reduction of wool fibers and the concentration of monomer. From the graft copolymerization behavior observed at a given concentration of redox catalysts (LiBr and K₂S₂O₈), the thiol groups in wool fibers were considered to play a role as a sort of catalyst of polymerization, not as the chain transfer agent, and also to give the grafting sites. So, the initiation process of grafting was assumed to be started by d[S·]/dt = k_i[SH]_eff, and the kinetic consideration was found to lead to the following expression in agreement with the experimental results: 1/DP = (k_t/k_p²[M]_fib²)R_p, where d[S·]/dt is the rate of formation of thiol radicals by radicalotropy to ? SH from SO₄^?., OH·, or Br·; k_i, k_p, and k_t are the rate constants of initiation, propagation, and termination, respectively; [SH]_eff and [M]_fib are the concentration of the effective thiol groups and the MMA monomers within the wool fibers, respectively; DP is the average degree of polymerization of graft polymers, and R_p the overall rate of grafting.     

Enhancing the wash fastness of disperse dyes on wool with oxidants

Disperse dyes are not currently applied to wool commercially, in large part because of inadequate wash fastness, but they do have potential, especially for wool‐polyester blends. In this study, for the first time hydrogen peroxide was investigated to increase the wash fastness of disperse dyes on wool. In the absence of oxidants, 10 disperse dyes from seven classes imparted colours with a range of depths (K/S 2‐26) with wash fastness (grey scale ratings for colour change) grades of 3 to 4‐5. Hydrogen peroxide had only small effects on colours and gave only small enhancements to wash fastness, which were limited to anthraquinone, nitrodiphenylamine, disazo and coumarin dyes. The bleach activators Prestogen W and citric acid enhanced the bleaching effect of hydrogen peroxide but did not assist with raising wash fastness. Hydrogen peroxide in post‐dyeing scouring made the dyeings brighter but did not significantly enhance wash fastness. Ammonium persulphate, which was included for benchmarking with earlier studies, yellowed the wool and decomposed some dyes. This study extends the range of dye classes whose wash fastness on wool can be improved by ammonium persulphate to now include diazo, coumarin and methine, and confirms that oxidants/free radical initiators have potential for enabling the disperse dyeing of wool.     

Antimicrobial finishing of wool fabrics with quaternary aminopyridinium salts

Quaternary aminopyridinium salts were employed in antimicrobial finishing wool fabrics. The effects of alkyl chain length in the salts, pH conditions of finishing baths, finishing time and temperature, and salt concentrations were investigated. The incorporated quaternary aminopyridinium salt molecules on wool were characterized by FTIR. The quaternary ammonium salt could form ionic interactions with anionic groups on wool, which contribute to the durable antimicrobial functions. All the finished wool fabrics exhibited antimicrobial efficacy against Escherichia coli. The washing durability of antimicrobial functions on the finished wool fabrics was also studied. ©2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 482–486, 2007     

Modification of surface properties of wool fabric with linde type a nano‐zeolite

Wool is a naturally occurring composite fiber consisting of keratin and keratin‐associated proteins as the key molecular components. The outermost surface of wool comprises a lipid layer that renders the surface hydrophobic, which hinders certain fabric processing steps and moisture management properties of wool fabrics. In this study, Linde Type A (LTA) nano‐zeolite (a Na⁺‐, Ca²⁺‐, and K⁺‐exchanged type A zeolite) was integrated onto the surface of wool using 3‐mercaptopropyl trimethoxy silane as a bridging agent. The resultant surface morphology, hydrophilicity, and mechanical performance of the treated wool fabrics were evaluated. Notably, the surface hydrophilicity of wool increased dramatically. When wool was treated with a dispersion of 1 wt % zeolite and 0.2 wt % silane, the water contact angle decreased from an average value of 148° to 50° over a period of approximately 5 min. Scanning electron microscopic imaging indicated good coverage of the wool surface with zeolite particles, and infrared spectroscopic evaluation demonstrated strong bonding of the zeolite to wool keratins. The zeolite application showed no adverse effects on the tensile and other mechanical properties of the fabric. This study indicates that zeolite‐based treatment is potentially an efficient approach to increasing the surface hydrophilicity and modifying other key surface properties such as softness of wool and wool fabrics. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42392.