Protease Scale Peeling Treatment and Crosslinking Repair of Breaking Strength in Wool Fibers 


Vol. 27,  No. 2, pp. 733-747, Feb.  2026
10.1007/s12221-025-01258-8


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  Abstract

This study introduces a two-step method that combines protease treatment with glutaraldehyde crosslinking. This approach significantly enhances the anti-felting properties of wool fibers while effectively preserving their mechanical strength. Through systematic optimization, protease treatment significantly enhanced anti-felting properties, evidenced by a 36.32% increase in felt ball volume. Although this led to a 21.52% loss in tensile strength, glutaraldehyde crosslinking effectively repaired the damage, resulting in a 46.59% enhancement‌ of breaking strength. The treated samples exhibited excellent washing durability. Scanning electron microscopy characterization confirmed substantial scale removal in protease-treated wool fibers (PWF) while maintaining morphological consistency between PWF and glutaraldehyde crosslinking wool fibers (GPWF). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed comparable spectral profiles across samples, with a notable attenuation of amide II band intensities in both PWF and GPWF. X-ray diffraction showed that the crystallinity of PWF increased from 28.78 to 30.59%, while the crystallinity of GPWF decreased to 24.13%. TGA indicated that both protease treatment and glutaraldehyde crosslinking had no significant effect on the inherent thermal stability of wool fibers. Protease treatment (PWF) markedly increased the hydrophilicity of wool fibers, and the water absorption capacity of GPWF was between untreated raw wool fiber (UWF) and PWF. This synergistic approach balances excellent anti-felting performance with preserved mechanical integrity. It thus offers a robust and efficient strategy for the sustainable processing of high-quality wool textiles and broadens the material’s application prospects.

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  Cite this article

[IEEE Style]

Y. Wu, Y. Wang, W. Xu, "Protease Scale Peeling Treatment and Crosslinking Repair of Breaking Strength in Wool Fibers," Fibers and Polymers, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 733-747, 2026. DOI: 10.1007/s12221-025-01258-8.

[ACM Style]

Ye Wu, Yunli Wang, and Weilin Xu. 2026. Protease Scale Peeling Treatment and Crosslinking Repair of Breaking Strength in Wool Fibers. Fibers and Polymers, 27, 2, (2026), 733-747. DOI: 10.1007/s12221-025-01258-8.

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