The action of alkalis on wool

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Abstract
About 1/2 of the total combined cystine of wool is converted by alkaline solns. into combined lanthionine. Rate of conversion increases with increase of pH and rise of temp. When the remaining half of the combined cystine of wool is decomposed by alkaline solns., each molecule gives rise to 2 molecules of combined a-amino-acrylic acid. Rate of decomposition is slow at pH 8, but increases with higher pH and temp. Nearly all the combined cystine of wool is con-verted into combined lanthionine when wool is heated with solns. of KCN. No evidence was found for the formation of [long dash]SNH[long dash] and [long dash]CH=N cross linkages in hydrolysates of alkali-treated wools, and intact alkali-treated wools do not contain free aldehydic groups. The total S of wool, undam-aged by light or by detergent solns., can be accounted for as cystine and methionine S.