Abstract
pH titration curves of wool protein were obtained in the absence and in the presence of heavy metallic ions, such as Hg++, Cu++, Al+++. In order to get the accurate results, pH titrations with KOH and HCl were made of these heavy metallic ions under the same condition as in the case of wool together with metallic ions.
0.4g of air dried wool was put into each bottle containing 40ml. of the following solution. Each bottle contained 10ml of 2 M KNO3 solution, the definite quantity of 0.02 N KOH or HCl and was filled to 40ml. with water (Fig 1). The addition of the metallic ions to wool causes a drop in pH in the cases of Hg++ and Cu++. In a qualitative sense, the greater the tendency for metals to combine with wool, the greater the drop in pH. Cystine, an important constituent of wool, was used for the determination of pH titration. From these tests, cystine seems to form chelate with Hg++, Cu++ and Al+++.
