Bleaching of Wool with Hydrogen Peroxide by Steaming in an Acidic Medium

The bleaching of wool by padding with hydrogen peroxide in an acidic medium and then steaming has been studied. Two different methods were used, depending on the stabiliser employed; the effects of the concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and stabiliser, the steaming time and the pH were examined in each case. The optimum conditions were compared withthose used in the method in which the bleaching solution is alkaline. A better and more permanent white is obtained if the bleaching solution is alkaline, although the degradation of the fibre is slightly higher.