Abstract:

Sheep wool intended for sorption examination was scoured using three procedures consisting of (1) an ultrasonic tempered bath with tap water, (2) the same as (1) but with detergent, and (3) dichloromethane extraction. The loss of wool mass and removal of Cu, Zn and Pb-cations by the scoured wool as a sorbent were tested. While the loss of mass indicated consistency among all procedures, the cation removal was slightly variable. However, the differences are acceptable, concluding that an ultrasonic water bath without any agent is most favoured. The omission of a detergent or carcinogenic solvent can make the scouring process cleaner and environmentally-friendlier.