The effect of wool surface and interior modification on subsequent photostability

Wool surface and interior modification can impart favorable properties, such as felting/shrink resistance, settability, or improved affinity for dyes. However, in principle such modification may have an either beneficial or adverse effect on the subsequent photostability of the modified wool. In this study, a range of representative physical and chemical modification approaches including the use of helium gas plasma, papain, acylation with acid anhydride, and permanganate oxidation were applied to wool fabrics, and the subsequent effects characterized using scanning electron microscopy, FTIR-ATR, contact angle goniometry, fluorescence spectrophotometry, and tensile strength test. The relative photostability of control and treated wool were evaluated in terms of coloration changes under UVA, UVB, and blue light irradiation. We have shown that the subsequent photostability of modified wool fabrics is highly dependent on the modification type, and this factor should be carefully considered in the design and application of wool treatments. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013