Properties of wool fibers treated under high‐temperature water and steam

Abstract In this study, we investigated the hygroscopicity and the extension properties of wool fibers treated under high‐temperature steam and water. The scale structure and the crystallinity of the treated wool fibers were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction analysis. The experimental results show that the hygroscopicity of the wool fibers treated under high‐temperature steam was higher than that of the wool fibers treated under high‐temperature water. The strength, the breaking elongation, and the breaking work of the treated wool fibers decreased obviously compared with the untreated wool fibers. The scale surface became rough and the crystallization index decreased for the treated wool fibers. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008