Comparison of wool bleaching with hydrogen peroxide in alkaline and acidic media

Abstract

A merino wool top was bleached in both alkaline and acidic media, varying the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the bleaching bath. For the same peroxide concentration, bleaching in an alkaline medium leads to a whiter and more chemically attacked wool than bleaching in an acidic medium. For the same chemical attack, wool bleached in an alkaline medium is whiter than for bleaching in an acidic medium.