ON COLLOID CHEMISTRY AND ITS INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS. 65 
against this theory, since the closer contact obtained in the first case 
should assist this adhesion of fibres. 
The author is of the opinion that felting is due mainly to the 
interlocking of fibres caused by the beating of the wool while in an 
elastic condition. Chlorine reduces this elasticity and makes the 
wool more plastic. 
Mechanical pressure produces considerable changes in wool, 
particularly when containing moisture and at a high temperature.® 
The adsorption of acids by wool has been determined by numerous 
workers.’-16 The work of Procter (see First Report) on the action of 
acids on gelatine led other chemists!* to consider that wool formed 
definite compounds with acids. Exactly as in the case of the 
adsorption of caustic soda by cotton and the nitration of cotton, peaks 
were noticed in the curve of adsorption.’ In the two examples of 
cotton more recent work has shown that the curves are continuous, 
and it is certain that the same will apply to wool. The author 
attempted to apply Procter’s methods to wool, but no results of any 
value were obtained. The amount of swelling in the case of wool is 
very small@compared with that shown by gelatine. The osmotic 
effect which was expected from Procter’s theory did not produce any 
changes in volume of the wool fibre; it may, however, have produced 
a change in the internal stresses present in the fibre, but this could 
not be determined. 
(K) Wool: 
1 Abderhalden, Jowrn. Physiol. Chem. 46, p. 31. 
2? Prudhomme, Rev. Gen. Mat. Col. 209 (1898). 
3 Kann, Farber Zeit. 25, 73 (1914). 
4 Gabhard, Farber Zeit. 25, 279, 283 (1914). 
5 Naumann, Zeit. fur angew. Chem. 30, 135, 297, 305 (1917). 
6 Allworden, Zeit. angew. Chem. 29, 77, 78 (1916). 
7 Champion, Comp. Rend. 72, 330. 
8 Knecht & Appleyard, Journ. Soc. Dyers 5 Cols. 15,71 (1889). (Dye compounds). 
* Harrison, Proc. Roy. Soc. A. 94, 460 (1918). 
10 Herzoz, Chem. Zeit. 40, 528 (1916). 
1 Pearson, Journ. Soc. Dyers 5° Cols. 25, 81 (1909). 
12 Georgievics, Zeit. Physiol. Chem. 8'7, 669 (1914). 
13 Fort & Lloyd, Journ. Soc. Dyers 5 Cols. 3Q, 5, 73 (1914). 
M4 Fort & Lloyd, Zdid. 30, 297 (1914). (Indigo compound). 
1s Harrison, bid. 34, 57 (1918). 
16 Gee & Harrison, Zrans. Faraday Soc., (April, 1910). 
7 Justin Mueller, oll. Zeit. 114 (1909). 
18 Miller & Tallmann (Strength & Elasticity of Wool), J. agric. Res. 4, 379 (1915). 
19 Hardy, Ibid. 14, 285 (1918). 
* Hartshorne, Zrans. Nat. Assoc. Cotton Manuf. 79, 194-225 (1905); 90, 281- 
319 (1911). 
*1 Woodmansey, Journ. Soc. Dyers § Cols., 34, 227 (1918). 
Silk. 
A large amount of work has been carried out on the products 
of hydrolysis of different kinds of silk? The silk fibre in its 
natural condition consists of two substances, sericine and fibroine, 
very similar in chemical nature. The sericine is dissolved from the 
fibroine by the action of dilute alkalies. Attempts have been made 
from time to time to fix this sericine by means of formaldehyde** 
in order to avoid the loss in weight of the silk, but little is known 
regarding the value of this process. 
20895 C 
