Wool generally contains contaminants. This affects the quality of wool as it displays poor colour, accumulation of dirt on processing equipment, poor dyeing, and dust accumulation in the wool. In the process of making textiles from wool, the contaminants must first be removed by scouring process.
Contaminant removal is done in a number of stages. First the contaminants are doused by water and detergent followed by rapid swelling of the wool wax and protein acetous contaminants along with dissolution of some of the water-soluble suint. Second, wax globules are formed within the swollen mass.
Third, complexed and uncomplexed contaminants that are not strongly bound to the fiber surface are swept from the fiber surface. Fourth, harder-to-remove contaminants, such as swollen proteins, oxidized wool wax and less soluble suint residues either complexed or uncomplexed are partially removed.
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Fibre2fashion News Desk - India