The action of sulphites on the cysteine disulphide linkages in wool: The influence of temperature, time and concentration on the reaction.

R1.CH2S .S.CH2.R2+M2SO3?1.CH2 .S .M=R2.CH2.S.SO2.OM .......(1) -(R1 and R2, adjacent polypeptide chains). The present investigation is cpncerned with the influence of other factors on this reaction, with the explanation of why it is apparently restricted to only a portion of the total disulphide-S of the wool, and also with the determination of the maximum proportion of the disulphide-S that will react in this manner.