The Use of Ultraviolet Radiation in an Adsorbable Organohalogen-free Print Preparation for Wool and in Wool Dyeing: The Siroflash Process

German legislation controlling the discharge of adsorbable organohalogens (AOX) in process effluents has focused attention on the need for environmentally acceptable alternatives to chlorination as a prepare-for-print (PFP) treatment for wool. The Siroflash process is a novel AOX-free approach which involves continuous UV irradiation of dry wool fabric, followed by conventional wet oxidation using hydrogen peroxide or permonosulphuric acid. Although permonosulphuric acid or peroxide treatments alone are ineffective as a PFP, the colour yields of prints on Siroflash-treated fabric are similar to those on chlorinated wool