Constitution of the Keratin Molecule

The Fine Histology of the Keratin Fibers

“…In fact, the removal of the epicuticle, leading to a strong positive test for &dquo;damage,&dquo; may produce a usefully modified fiber-e.g., a brief treatment with alcoholic caustic potash will lead to an easily wetted fiber, even and simple dyeing, under some conditions unshrinkability, and, owing to a higher average coefficient of friction, stronger yarns and fabrics and greater ease in spinning, etc. Some of these properties of treated wools have been noted [23], and here we wish merely to point out that the changes are easily explained as being a result of the removal of the protecting membrane.…”

Measurement of Friction Between Single Fibers

“…If Tables X-XII are compared with the well-known influences of these treatments on the felting, it is also obvious that m, or the arithmetic mean of ~1 and p2, is in some way related to the felting. Assuming d and the felting to be directly proportional, and the absolute friction and the felting to be inversely proportional (since no accurate figure for the relation is yet given, it is a matter of convenience to adopt the simplest relation) leads to the equation suggested by Speakman [17] : or that suggested by Mercer [13] :…”

“…The first successful attempts were made by Speakman and collaborators [17], and the method is referred to as the &dquo;violin bow&dquo; method. A mat of several fibers oriented in the same direction is arranged between two edges, as over two violin bridges.…”

Measurement of the Frictional Properties of Wool Fibers

“…This migration tendency has now come to be recognized * This article is the fourth one from this laboratory of a series dealing with the principal phases of the program of the Office of The Quartermaster General on shrink-resistant wool clothing. The first article appeared in the February 12, 1945 as one of the principal factors in the formation of the entangled mass known as the felt [1,4,5,9,11,13,14,15,21,22,23 ] .…”