Abstract
SUPERCONTRACTION of Corriedale wool fibres in solutions of lithium bromide (6 M–10 M), freed from bromine, has been shown to proceed in two stages, the first stage being complete at contractions of about 15 per cent and the second stage at about 40 per cent. It can be reversed up to the end of the first stage by washing out the lithium bromide with water. If supercontraction is allowed to proceed into the second stage, washing can at best only partially restore fibre-length1,2. The second stage has an activation energy deduced from the temperature coefficient of the process of about 30 kcal./mol. in the lithium bromide solution. Haly and Feughelman1 concluded that the fibre, at the end of both the first and second stages, acted as an elastomer which had respectively 16 and 30 residues between ‘vulcanized’ sites. It was suggested that at the end of the first stage the ‘vulcanizing’ linkages are strong polar bonds or co-operative secondary bonds (such as exist in crystalline regions) and disulphide bonds, and that at the end of the second stage only the disulphides remain.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Haly, A. R., and Feughelman, M., Textile Res. J. (in the press).
Griffith, June, and Alexander, A. E., Textile Res. J. (in the press).
Neurath, H., and Bailey, K., “The Proteins”, 1, 432 (Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1953).
Speakman, J. B., and McMahon, P. R., N.Z. J. Sci. Tech., 20, 248B (1939) ; 21, 31B (1939) ; 22, 235B (1941).
Richards, H. R., and Speakman, J. B., Proc. Int. Wool. Text. Res. Conf., Vol. C, 308 (Australia, 1955).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
HALY, A., FEUGHELMAN, M. & GRIFFITH, J. Supercontraction of Wool irradiated with Ultra-violet Light or Iodinated. Nature 180, 1064 (1957). https://doi.org/10.1038/1801064a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1801064a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.