Cross-Linking Reduced Animal Fibres

Abstract

ONE of the more important aspects of the chemistry of protein fibres is the study of cross-linking reactions, each of which may be regarded as a potential process for industrial use. Low-temperature setting processes, for example, consist in cross-linking the mercapto groups of reduced wool fibres with oxidizing agents, metal salts or organic compounds containing two or more reactive halogen atoms in the molecule¹. It has now been found that even more successful cross-linking of reduced fibres may be obtained with allyl isothiocyanate, presumably because it is capable of combining with amino- and hydroxyl- as well as mercapto-groups².