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Abstract
Wool belongs to animal fibres and is obtained from the fleece of sheep and it is a proteinic fibre. Wool is a complex protein (formed of twenty a-amino acids) known as keratin and is composed of longitudinal polypeptide chains crosslinked by cystine linkages. The main world wool sources are Australia, Argentina, United States, New Zealand, Uruguay, Russia and England.
Wool is one of the most expensive fabrics in the international market. Also, wool is an appropriate growing medium for insects, bacteria, fungi, viruses and microorganisms under favorable hot temperature, humid and dark conditions resulting in wool degradations or human skin infections. Some insects such as moth and carpet beetles cause a high damage of millions dollars annually to clothing, rugs and upholstery in the storage of factories, houses, shops and museums.
Moth larvae secrete a protease enzyme which hydrolyses the disulphide bonds and the polypeptide linkages of wool. For these reasons wool fabrics must be protected against insects and microorganisms. In order to avoid their growth and the wool damage, special developments in mothproofing agents and procedures have controlled these dangerous pests. Chemical and non-chemical methods are used in the market for protecting wool.