Use of Salicylic Acid and Derivatives for the Protection of Wool from Insect Attack

Abstract

CHEMICALS which inhibit oxidative phosphorylation are usually toxic to keratin-digesting insect larvae (Table 1), and early investigations on the mothproofing of wool involved the use of this type of compound¹. With salicylic acid and simple derivatives, however, large concentrations are required for protection from insect attack (Table 2) and those which are effective have been found to have poor fastness to laundering. Attempts to produce more satisfactory mothproofing agents have concentrated on chlorinated organic compounds, and those which are used industrially at present are all of this nature².