Abstract: The scales of wool fabric were stripped through potassium permanganate oxidation method and thiourea dioxide reduction method. The physical and chemical properties of wool fabrics before and after treating with potassium permanganate were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR/ATR). SEM results showed that the surface of wool fabrics after treating with potassium permanganate is overall relatively smooth and the ladder-shaped structure of the fabric edge are not obvious. XPS and FTIR-ATR results showed that the methods mentioned above can fracture the disulfide-bond on the surface of wool fabrics and modification or removal the lipid substances on the surface. Consequently, the wettability of wool fabrics was effectively promoted after treating with potassium permanganate. In addition, the strength retention, whiteness, fiber thinning of treated wool fabrics was obtained good results. But the char length and limiting oxygen index were both dropped after treating with potassium permanganate, and the thermal stability got worse.

Key words: wool fabrics, scale, chemical properties, physical properties