Graft copolymerization is a chemical modification of wool fibers that diffuses polymers into the internal structure of wool. Chemical methods for grafting onto wool fibers include initiation involving aliphatic azo compounds, hydroperoxides, percarbonates, persulfate, peroxydiphosphate, periodates, metal chelates, Fenton's reagents, and higher valency transition metal oxidizers. Recent research into chemical grafting on wool focused on grafting with a new acidic peroxygen initiator (KHSO) and the metal ion initiator quinquivalent vanadium V, which oxidizes a multitude of organic substrates through a free radical path that initiates vinyl polymerization. Grafting improves resistance to mineral acids and alkalies, hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, tensile strength, and dyeability. An experiment on the graft copolymerzation of acrylamide, acrylic acid, and butyl acrylate onto wool fibers examined the resultant dye uptake ability of the fiber and remaining concentration of the solution. 12 refs.