Carbonizing Investigations: Part VI: A Comparison of Different Types of Surface Active Agents in Laboratory Carbonizing

Eighty-eight nonionic surface active agents, all containing polyoxyethylene as the hydrophilic group, and some anionic and cationic agents have been tested in the labora tory to determine the extent to which they protect wool from loss of tensile strength during carbonizing. Nonionic agents in which the lipophilic portion consists of poly oxypropylene provided little protection even at the highest concentrations tested, whereas nonionic agents containing an alkyl or aryl hydrocarbon group were generally effective. With the latter compounds, the length of the polyoxyethylene group influenced the optimal concentration of the reagent. Anionic agents were ineffective at low concen trations; cationic agents were comparable in their effects with nonionic agents.