The Current Status and Future Insight into the Production of Machine-washable Wool

Although woolen garments exhibit outstanding performance, appearance, and comfort characteristics, yet they suffer from their tendency to felt and shrink during mechanical agitation, which prohibits their laundering in domestic washing machines. In this review article, the chemical and technological aspects of previous and current methods used to obtain machine-washable wool were outlined and criticized. Biological and physical methods for felt-proofing of wool were briefly highlighted. The most common industrial method used for the production of machine-washable wool is the chlorine-Hercosett process. However, this is a polluting process due to the liberation of Adsorbable Organohalogens (AOX) produced by the reaction of chlorine as well as Hercosett polymer with wool keratin. Hence, new reagents were proposed as potential candidates and possible alternatives for the commercially used polluting methods for the prevention of felting shrinkage. These include ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents. Treatment of wool with the suggested reagents would result in partial descaling of wool tops without adverse loss in fibers weight and tenacity.

Automated summary

This review article discusses the challenges of felting and shrinking in woolen garments and outlines the current methods used to obtain machine-washable wool, including biological and physical methods. The chlorine-Hercosett process is the most common industrial method, but it is environmentally polluting. New reagents such as ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents are proposed as potential alternatives for preventing felting shrinkage.