ISOLATION OF CUTICLE 289 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 Untreated DS-3 -- DS-4 0.05 :,,\ I v I ''\ t t ,' '\t: •, i • , ', , , \ 0 I 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 Wavenumber (cm -1) Figure 6. Diffuse reflectance FT-IR spectra of the surface of untreated (--), DS-3 ( ...... ), and DS-4 (---) hairs. Arrows indicate the position of 1022 cm- • and 1076 cm- • peaks appearing in DS-3 and DS-4 hairs, respectively. Since the reaction mechanism in KOH/1-butanol is not completely understood as yet, the small peaks detected in DS-3 and DS-4 are not definitely characterized in the present work. We can conclude at least qualitatively that KOH/1-butanol solution penetrates only through the outer surface of the cortex and that the disulfide and SH groups are partly modified. They may be converted to cystein derivatives. The present work demonstrates that hair without cuticle cells can be obtained, provided that the treatment time in 5% KOH/1-butanol at 50øC is properly controlled. REFERENCES (1) P. H. Springell, Proteolysis of wool and its S-carboxymethyl derivatives by pronase and other pro- teases, A•st. J. Bid. $ci., 16, 727-755 (1965). (2) H. Hojo, Method for modifying wool fiber materials to advance quality grade thereof, U.S. Patent

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