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This work focuses on introducing new sustainable chemicals in the wool grease removal processes by aiming to understand the effect of an eco-friendly solvent, cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME), in solvent-based wool grease extraction and, in addition, the impact of the wool protein hydrolyzate (WPH) as a biosurfactant derived from green hydrolysis in the wool scouring process. In the green solvent extraction process assisted using solvent CPME, the effect of CPME on grease extraction and the presence of four primary fatty acids were evaluated and compared with conventional solvents. The quantity of grease extracted using green solvent CPME was more significant than the conventional solvents. An extraction using green solvent CPME resulted in 11.95% extracted wool grease, which is more when compared with 8.19% hexane and 10.28% diethyl ether. The total quantity of four fatty acids was analyzed and found to be ~15% for CPME ~17% for Hexan compared with ~20% for commercial lanolin. FTIR of CPME-extracted wool grease exhibits primary and distinguishing bands similar to pure wool grease. Wool cleanliness efficiency was morphologically analyzed using SEM, resulting in no fiber degradation or surface alterations. These analyzes indicated that CPME has the potential to be claimed as an effective green alternative to conventional solvents for the extraction of grease and fatty acids. In a sustainable scouring process, WPH was used as a biosurfactant, an eco-friendly alternative. Furthermore, scouring process parameters such as temperature, material-to-liquor ratio, and WPH concentration were optimized for efficient scouring. The wool samples scoured using WPH biosurfactant exhibited nearly similar whiteness and yellowness and washing yield compared with Biotex AL. These results comply with SEM analysis, which showed that WPH-scoured wool had an intact scale structure, a smooth fiber surface, and no wool grease layer. At optimum conditions, WPH reduced the residual grease content of Sopravissana wool from 22.29% to 0.30%, comparable to the commercial biosurfactant Biotex AL. Compared with conventional wool grease removal processes, the green solvent CPME and biosurfactant WPH were considered viable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing concern regarding the methods for sheep wool processing currently used in the textile industry owing to the enormous volume of toxic effluents generated. A large portion of these effluents comprises toxic volatile organic compounds necessary for the water-based cleaning of sheep wool. Various methods have been proposed for wool fiber cleaning: carbonization, solvent bleaching, and ultrasound, traditional washing using various detergents in steam or hot water, and electrical discharge cleaning, and there are several methods to remove impurities (suint, wool grease, and vegetable matter). However, these methods raise concerns because they adversely affect the mechanical and chemical properties of wool fiber and consume large quantities of chemicals and freshwater. Environmental conservation is a key element influencing accelerated industrial growth. Environmental awareness has prompted extensive research in the field of wool cleaning to identify environment-friendly solutions that involve low energy consumption, eco-friendly chemicals, and reduced waste and emissions. Eco-friendly methods should be developed to replace the traditional washing methods used to clean sheep wool fibers.

Basic parameters of alpaca wool fiber before and after scouring using soaps and soda (Czaplicki and Ruszkowski [18]) HT

Purpose. The benefits of wool fiber scouring by applying the electro-bit non-linear volume cavitation in comparison with the standard technology are discussed. Findings. It is noted that the wool scouring using proposed technology provides a high-quality fiber with maximum storage stability and energy source saving. It is also shown that given technology allows to carry out more effective process of wool grease extraction from wool-washing water. Originality. First provided the application of a electro-bit non-linear volume cavitation in wool grease extraction technology. Practical value. The proposed wool treatment technology using EBNVC reduces the washing water consumption by 33.3% and detergents by 50%, which promotes reduction of negative impact of wool primary scouring factories on the environment. Wool grease accumulation only in one washing bath will enhance the efficiency of wool grease extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most important components of wool scouring effluent grease are esters of sterols. Cholesteryl palmitate (CP) is the main ester in this grease. In this paper, the influence of the ester concentration in the anaerobic digestion and the relative rate of the different degradation steps, are studied. The experiment was carried out to measure methane production in the anaerobic degradation of acetate, palmitic acid (PA) and CP. A first-order kinetic model was assumed for hydrolysis and Monod models were assumed for both the methanogenic and acetogenic steps. Maximum hydrolysis rate was found to be around 20 times faster than the maximum methanogenic reaction rate during the experience. The lanolin emulsion drop size effect was also evaluated employing fine and coarse stock lanolin emulsions and no adapted sludge. Concentrations of 13.7 to 4.6 gCOD.l-1 were employed. In a previous study, the effect of palmitic acid emulsion size was found important when similar sludge was tested. When esters are degraded, a significant effect of drop size on the degradation rate was not found. The difference between CP and PA emulsions behavior could be due to the fact that cholesterol produced during the ester degradation has a protective effect on the sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an investigation of the W.I.R.A. rapid grease-extraction apparatus, it was found that up to 20% of the methylene chloride extract of scoured wool could evaporate away at the heater mantle. This loss and others contributed to the low, and erratic results usually obtained when using the W.I.R.A. apparatus with scoured wool.An improved instrument (R5) has been devised with features which reduce or eliminate the main faults of the W.I.R.A. apparatus.The experimental investigations consisted of the extraction (with methylene chloride) of residual wool grease from scoured wool. Using four types of wool having residual wool-grease contents in the range 0.3-7%, the percent extrac tion from the Soxhlet, R5, and W.I.R.A. instruments have been compared. Highly significant linear relationships were found between the extract amounts from the R5 and Soxhlet apparatuses. The R5 instrument is sufficiently sensitive to distinguish between small discrepancies in residual wool grease found on different sections of a tuft of scoured wool. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A factorial experiment performed on the aqueous compression-jet scour with three independent variables is reported. These variables were the feed-rate of greasy wool, the speed of the layer of wool, and the jetting pressures. The wools were processed to gilled slivers, on which mean-fibre-length determinations were made. The effects of the independent variables on the dependent variables of residual grease and dirt and mean fibre length (the last-named being a measure of the degree of entanglement of the scoured wool) were evaluated. The results obtained indicated the operating conditions to be used to achieve the optimum production capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The equations representing the changes in the concentrations of the contaminants in scour liquors that were developed in Part 1 of this series are applied. The investigation of the optimum conditions of liquor reclamation took the form of two scouring trials. The results of these trials gave the recovery and removal efficiencies of the reclamation units and showed that two centrifuges in parallel very efficiently removed the grease and dirt contaminants from the scour liquor. The investigation of the determination of equilibrium conditions of the contaminants in the scour liquor consisted in scouring wool for 6 hr without back-flow or liquor reclamation. The results showed that effective continuous scouring was feasible. Experimental results of contaminant concentrations in the liquors compared favourably with the predicted values obtained from equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation is described in which the quality of scoured wools was assessed by their residual-grease and dirt contents, colour, and mean fibre lengths. Two types of wool were scoured in two sets of experiments with varying jetting pressures, detergent-builder concentrations, liquor temperatures, and contaminant concentrations in the liquors. One of these types of wool was scoured conventionally as a control measure. It was found that the dinginess of the scoured wool depended solely on its residual-grease content, which could be kept at a low level by suitable additions of detergent to the scour liquors. The fibres in the slivers of conventionally scoured wool were shorter than, and had the same colour characteristics as, those of a similar wool that had been scoured in the aqueous compression-jet scour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equations of concentrations of contaminants in scour liquors in the approach to, and at, equilibrium conditions are developed. These equations are applied to the case of passing through a centrifuge system scour liquor containing recoverable and non-recoverable grease and removable and non-removable dirt. Operating factors of scouring are discussed in relation to the equations developed. The laboratory techniques used in analysing samples of the scoured wool, the liquor, and card sliver from the pre-optimization trial are described. Changes in operating procedure for the aqueous compression-jet scour and a schedule of optimization trials to follow are recommended after an analysis of the results of the pre-optimization trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An account is given of an investigation in which, in connexion with a study of canary staining, samples of suint from a white merino, a white Romney, and a yellow-banded Romney wool were analysed and bicarbonate-carbonate was detected in each, the largest amount (8-4% as potassium carbonate on the dry weight) occurring in suint from the canary-stained band. In other respects, there was little difference between the suints from white and yellow wools. The staining of wool by several simple aldehydes and similar substances is briefly reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented about the scourability of sheep-marking compositions.