Wool & saltwater

[Detroitpete]

As a former sailor in the US Navy I spent quite a bit of time in dress blues (wool bellbottoms) around sea water. Only thing that ever happend was I got wet. Took awhile for the water to soak through though:-)

[tulloch]

Salt water will leave a white residue on wool or any other fabric. The issue of spontaneous combustion is what happens to the wearer when cold salt spray rises under the garment.
Kilts should not be worn in windy conditions where you'd get wet, (on a giant cruise ship is different), nor when skydiving.

[Farlander]

I have been thinking about writing an article titled "The Science of Wool". I will have to add 'salt' as one of the topics. As others have already stated, various navies, fishermen and other such sea goers have been wearing wool trousers, jackets, sweaters and such for centuries with seemingly few "self combustion" issues. Still, I think that Alan is right to not suggest a kilt on a boat. I do not know how heavy 8 yards of wet wool is, but I am sure it is more than I want strapped around my bum if I find myself going for a swim.

As for what to do about a salty kilt? At your convenience, a quick soak or two in clean cool water should do a fine job of eliminating the unwanted salt. The biggest danger to the kilt is how it is dried. Avoid hot air, tumbling or wringing of the fabric (during cleaning or drying).

As for using salt to assist the dying process, it of course does raise the boiling temperature of water, but more important is that salt is useful in encouraging the fiber to not repel the dye.

Wool is truly amazing!

[ForresterModern]

Just a quick note to dispel a couple misconceptions that have been stated.

First, salt, when added to water, actually lowers its boiling point instead of raising it. Salt when added to a solution containing other dissolved chemicals, like most dyes, will tend to cause the other chemical, the dye, to be forced out of solution (dye to settle in whatever convenient place, like wool) becasue salt (sodium chloride) tends to have a higher affinity for remaining dissolved than most other things like dyes, and only so much solid can be held dissolved in solution at one time, depending on the temperature.

Second, an 8yd heavyweight kilt that weighs, say, 4 pounds, will still weigh approximately 4 pounds under water, so therefore really should not drag you under water any faster than any other 4 pound piece of clothing. The extra weight you feel in a soaking wet kilt is only when you are out of the water or gettingout of the water, where you are carrying the extra weight of the absorbed water in the wool.

This episode of Mr Wizard is now concluded. Please stay tuned for a preview of next week's show.

[Farlander]

Thanks ForesterModern. I completely agree that salt makes the dye less soluble, so it does indeed force it out of solution (which is a good thing). This explains why many dye recipes use plenty salt (table salt without iodine or other salts like sodium sulfate). Salt also assists the mordant chemical reaction, but we are quickly getting more technical than this thread needs. Anyway, the end result is a more even dye job.

As for boiling water, adding 2 tablespoons of salt to 2 cups of water will raise the boiling point from 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) by 5 degrees to 217° F (102.8° C). An easy experiment to try at home for anyone who does not trust me on this one.

Salt does lower the freezing temperature though.

[The Guy in the Kilt at UC]

As for boiling water, adding 2 tablespoons of salt to 2 cups of water will raise the boiling point from 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) by 5 degrees to 217° F (102.8° C). An easy experiment to try at home for anyone who does not trust me on this one.

Perhaps to combat the altitude of the highlands? I don't know how high they are, but when I was on Mauna Kea a couple of years ago I tried making coffee. The water boiled at 70 degrees.

[ForresterModern]

Thanks ForesterModern. I completely agree that salt makes the dye less soluble, so it does indeed force it out of solution (which is a good thing). This explains why many dye recipes use plenty salt (table salt without iodine or other salts like sodium sulfate). Salt also assists the mordant chemical reaction, but we are quickly getting more technical than this thread needs. Anyway, the end result is a more even dye job.

As for boiling water, adding 2 tablespoons of salt to 2 cups of water will raise the boiling point from 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) by 5 degrees to 217° F (102.8° C). An easy experiment to try at home for anyone who does not trust me on this one.

Salt does lower the freezing temperature though.

Thanks, Farlander. Mr Wizard stands corrected. I was mistakenly mentally confusing salts effects on boiling point with its effects on feezing point. You are correct in that it RAISES boiling poing slightly. Not doing physics for 30 years does that to your brain.

[Nick the DSM]

This just in!

Kilt combusted after exposed in salt water

John Q. Kilted-Public was spending his afternoon sailing the ocean, having fun. As always for him, he wore his kilt. Little did he know, after lots of exposure to salt-water- the kilt will explode! He suffered severe kilt rash, and the explosion blew off his white hose and tartan flat cap. He will live on.

[Nighthawk]

So, presupposing that such a catastrophic event has occurred and your tank has become saturated with seawater, how should one proceed to effect first-aid on your kilt? Would it be necessary to immediately immerse the garment in a cool freshwater bath to draw out the salt, or could such action wait until sometime later? Presumably, Woolite would be a reasonable investment?

Perhaps some of the textile experts might illuminate us with regard to this "Worst Case Scenario"?

What difference does any of that make of your kilt spontaneously bursts into flames, as MacMillon of Rathdown said it will?

[tulloch]

I have been thinking about writing an article titled "The Science of Wool".

The Science of the Lambs? Would love to see the movie when it comes out.