16—THE RAPID ACIDIFICATION OF BURRY WOOL ON A PILOT-PLANT SCALE

A description is given of a carbonizing process that has been developed up to a pilot-plant scale and shows considerable potential in eliminating wool-fibre damage and entanglement. Experimental results indicate the advantages to be gained from rapid acidification in industrial processing, and this confirms previous work on a laboratory scale. A novel rapid-acidifying machine that has been designed and developed also shows considerable potential in eliminating fibre damage and entanglement in wool-carbonizing. Previous laboratory-scale experiments indicating the advantages to be gained from rapid acidification are largely confirmed by means of the pilot plant. Some of the differences found between the laboratory and pilot-plant results are explained and the industrial implications discussed.