Influence of Accelerated Electron-Irradiation on Sorption Properties of Latvian Darkhead Sheep Wool Fibers

Latvian Darkhead (LD) is a local sheep breed and a genetic resource in Latvia. Preservation and development of the sheep population in the local region is important for the recultivation of fields, it serves as a source for export and local use, as well as waste wool can be applied for developing new products, for example, sorbents for volatile organic pollutants. Therefore, investigation of the sorption properties of the LD sheep wool fibers is under interest. In addition, modification options of the wool for improvement of properties are viewed. Therefore, in the present work, sheep wool fibers as well as accelerated electron-irradiated fibers are analyzed and compared. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry is applied to develop the sorption testing system of volatile organic compounds. An analytical system consisting of a volatile organic compound source, sheep wool filter, and FTIR spectrometry cell is tested and applied for analysis of wool sorption properties for acetone molecules. Registration of the FTIR spectra was performed within the range of 600-4000 cm-1, in the nitrogen flow of about 150mL/min. FTIR analysis shows, that the accelerated electron irradiated sheep wool fibers absorb acetone of about 33% more than non-irradiated fibers. The obtained results will be used for developing recommendations for filter producers to fabricate filter components containing LD sheep wool fibers.