Abstract
A limited number of polar, nonhydroxylic organic liquids are suitable swelling media for chemical modification of wool. An effective medium for acylating‐type internal modification should have low molecular weight, should lack active hydrogen atoms, be highly polar, swell wool fibers, have a high boiling point, and exert a catalytic effect. Rates of modification by phenyl isocyanate, myristoyl chloride, and dodecenylsuccinic anhydride in different media decrease in the order dimethyl sulfoxide > dimethylformamide > 1‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone > 4‐butyrolactone. Nevertheless, equal maximum uptake of a given reagent in these varied media is evidence of internal chemical modification. Further examples of modifying reagents are phenyl isothiocyanate, benzyl chlorides, and α‐haloketones. Supercontraction and single‐fiber stress‐strain data indicate crosslinking by bifunctional isocyanates and acid chlorides.

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