Wool
Wool is the textile
, that have properties similar to animal wool.As an animal fiber, wool consists of protein together with a small percentage of lipids. This makes it chemically quite distinct from cotton and other plant fibers, which are mainly cellulose.[1]
Characteristics
Wool is produced by follicles which are small cells located in the skin. These follicles are located in the upper layer of the skin called the epidermis and push down into the second skin layer called the dermis as the wool fibers grow. Follicles can be classed as either primary or secondary follicles. Primary follicles produce three types of fiber: kemp, medullated fibers, and true wool fibers. Secondary follicles only produce true wool fibers. Medullated fibers share nearly identical characteristics to hair and are long but lack crimp and elasticity. Kemp fibers are very coarse and shed out.[2]
Wool's crimp refers to the strong natural wave present in each wool fiber as it is presented on the animal. Wool's crimp, and to a lesser degree scales, make it easier to
The felting of wool occurs upon hammering or other mechanical agitation as the microscopic barbs on the surface of wool fibers hook together. Felting generally comes under two main areas, dry felting and wet felting. Wet felting occurs when water and a lubricant (especially an alkali such as soap) are applied to the wool which is then agitated until the fibers mix and bond together. Temperature shock while damp or wet accentuates the felting process. Some natural felting can occur on the animal's back.
Wool has several qualities that distinguish it from hair or fur: it is
The amount of crimp corresponds to the fineness of the wool fibers. A fine wool like
Wool fibers
Wool ignites at a higher temperature than cotton and some
Wool causes an allergic reaction in some people.[7]
Processing
Shearing
- fleece (which makes up the vast bulk)
- broken
- bellies
- locks
The quality of fleeces is determined by a technique known as
Scouring
Wool straight off a sheep is known as "raw wool", "greasy wool"[8] or "wool in the grease". This wool contains a high level of valuable lanolin, as well as the sheep's dead skin and sweat residue, and generally also contains pesticides and vegetable matter from the animal's environment. Before the wool can be used for commercial purposes, it must be scoured, a process of cleaning the greasy wool. Scouring may be as simple as a bath in warm water or as complicated as an industrial process using detergent and alkali in specialized equipment.[9] In
Vegetable matter in commercial wool is often removed by chemical carbonization.[10] In less-processed wools, vegetable matter may be removed by hand and some of the lanolin left intact through the use of gentler detergents. This semigrease wool can be worked into yarn and knitted into particularly
Fineness and yield
Raw wool has many impurities; vegetable matter, sand, dirt and yolk which is a mixture of suint (sweat), grease, urine stains and dung locks. The sheep's body yields many types of wool with differing strengths, thicknesses, length of staple and impurities. The raw wool (greasy) is processed into 'top'. 'Worsted top' requires strong straight and parallel fibres.
Common Name | Part of Sheep | Style of Wool |
---|---|---|
Fine | Shoulder | Fine, uniform and very dense |
Near | Sides | Fine, uniform and strong |
Downrights | Neck | Short and irregular, lower quality |
Choice | Back | Shorter staple, open and less strong |
Abb | Haunches | Longer, stronger staple |
Seconds | Belly | Short, tender, matted and dirty |
Top-not | Head | Stiff, very coarse, rough and kempy |
Brokes | Forelegs | Short, irregular and faulty |
Cowtail | Hindlegs | Very strong, coarse and hairy |
Britch | Tail | Very coarse, kempy and dirty |
Source:[11] |
The quality of wool is determined by its fiber diameter, crimp, yield, color, and staple strength. Fiber diameter is the single most important wool characteristic determining quality and price.
Merino wool is typically 90–115 mm (3.5–4.5 in) in length and is very fine (between 12 and 24 microns).
Wool is also separated into grades based on the measurement of the wool's diameter in microns and also its style. These grades may vary depending on the breed or purpose of the wool. For example:
Diameter in microns | Name |
---|---|
< 15.5 | Ultrafine Merino[8] |
15.6–18.5 | Superfine Merino |
18.6–20 | Fine Merino[8] |
20.1–23 | Medium Merino |
> 23 | Strong Merino[8] |
Breeds | Diameter |
---|---|
Comeback |
21–26 microns, white, 90–180 mm (3.5–7.1 in) long |
Fine crossbred | 27–31 microns, Corriedales, etc. |
Medium crossbred | 32–35 microns |
Downs | 23–34 microns, typically lacks luster and brightness. Examples, Suffolk, etc.[14]
|
Coarse crossbred | >36 microns |
Carpet wools | 35–45 microns[8] |
Any wool finer than 25 microns can be used for garments, while coarser grades are used for outerwear or rugs. The finer the wool, the softer it is, while coarser grades are more durable and less prone to pilling.
The finest Australian and New Zealand Merino wools are known as 1PP, which is the industry benchmark of excellence for Merino wool 16.9 microns and finer. This style represents the top level of fineness, character, color, and style as determined on the basis of a series of parameters in accordance with the original dictates of British wool as applied by the Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX) Council. Only a few dozen of the millions of bales auctioned every year can be classified and marked 1PP.[15]
In the United States, three classifications of wool are named in the Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939.[16] Wool is "the fiber from the fleece of the sheep or lamb or hair of the Angora or Cashmere goat (and may include the so-called specialty fibers from the hair of the camel, alpaca, llama, and vicuna) which has never been reclaimed from any woven or felted wool product".[16] "Virgin wool" and "new wool" are also used to refer to such never used wool. There are two categories of recycled wool (also called reclaimed or shoddy wool). "Reprocessed wool" identifies "wool which has been woven or felted into a wool product and subsequently reduced to a fibrous state without having been used by the ultimate consumer".[16] "Reused wool" refers to such wool that has been used by the ultimate consumer.[16]
History
In medieval times, as trade connections expanded, the
The value of exports of English raw wool were rivaled only by the 15th-century
A great deal of the value of woolen textiles was in the dyeing and finishing of the woven product. In each of the centers of the textile trade, the manufacturing process came to be subdivided into a collection of trades, overseen by an entrepreneur in a system called by the English the "putting-out" system, or "cottage industry", and the Verlagssystem by the Germans. In this system of producing wool cloth, once perpetuated in the production of Harris tweeds, the entrepreneur provides the raw materials and an advance, the remainder being paid upon delivery of the product. Written contracts bound the artisans to specified terms. Fernand Braudel traces the appearance of the system in the 13th-century economic boom, quoting a document of 1275.[21] The system effectively bypassed the guilds' restrictions.
Before the flowering of the
Due to decreasing demand with increased use of synthetic fibers, wool production is much less than what it was in the past. The collapse in the price of wool began in late 1966 with a 40% drop; with occasional interruptions, the price has tended down. The result has been sharply reduced production and movement of resources into production of other commodities, in the case of sheep growers, to production of meat.[24][25][26]
Superwash wool (or washable wool) technology first appeared in the early 1970s to produce wool that has been specially treated so it is machine washable and may be tumble-dried. This wool is produced using an acid bath that removes the "scales" from the fiber, or by coating the fiber with a polymer that prevents the scales from attaching to each other and causing shrinkage. This process results in a fiber that holds longevity and durability over synthetic materials, while retaining its shape.[27]
In December 2004, a bale of the then world's finest wool, averaging 11.8 microns, sold for AU$3,000 per kilogram at auction in
In 2007, a new wool suit was developed and sold in Japan that can be washed in the shower, and which dries off ready to wear within hours with no ironing required. The suit was developed using Australian Merino wool, and it enables woven products made from wool, such as suits, trousers, and skirts, to be cleaned using a domestic shower at home.[30]
In December 2006, the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed 2009 to be the International Year of Natural Fibres, so as to raise the profile of wool and other natural fibers.
Production
Global wool production is about 2 million tonnes (2.2 million short tons) per year, of which 60% goes into apparel. Wool comprises ca 3% of the global textile market, but its value is higher owing to dyeing and other modifications of the material.
In the United States,
- China: 19% of global wool-clip (334 million kilograms [740 million pounds] greasy, 2020)
- Australia: 16%
- New Zealand: 8%
- Turkey: 4%
- United Kingdom: 4%
- Morocco: 3%
- Iran: 3%
- Russia: 3%
- South Africa: 3%
- India: 3%
Organic wool has gained in popularity. This wool is limited in supply and much of it comes from New Zealand and Australia.[33] Organic wool has become easier to find in clothing and other products, but these products often carry a higher price.
Wool is environmentally preferable (as compared to petroleum-based nylon or
Animal rights groups have noted issues with the production of wool, such as mulesing.
Marketing
This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2017) |
Australia
About 85% of wool sold in Australia is sold by open cry auction.[34]
Other countries
The British Wool Marketing Board operates a central marketing system for UK fleece wool with the aim of achieving the best possible net returns for farmers.
Less than half of New Zealand's wool is sold at auction, while around 45% of farmers sell wool directly to private buyers and end-users.[35]
United States sheep producers market wool with private or cooperative wool warehouses, but wool pools are common in many states. In some cases, wool is pooled in a local market area, but sold through a wool warehouse. Wool offered with objective measurement test results is preferred. Imported apparel wool and carpet wool goes directly to central markets, where it is handled by the large merchants and manufacturers.[36]
Yarn
Worsted is a strong, long-staple, combed wool yarn with a hard surface.[37]
Woolen is a soft, short-staple, carded wool yarn typically used for knitting.[37] In traditional weaving, woolen weft yarn (for softness and warmth) is frequently combined with a worsted warp yarn for strength on the loom.[39]
Uses
In addition to clothing, wool has been used for blankets, horse rugs, saddle cloths, carpeting, insulation and upholstery. Dyed wool can be used to create other forms of art such as wet and needle felting. Wool felt covers piano hammers, and it is used to absorb odors and noise in heavy machinery and stereo speakers. Ancient Greeks lined their helmets with felt, and Roman legionnaires used breastplates made of wool felt.
Wool as well as cotton has also been traditionally used for
Initial studies of woolen underwear have found it prevented heat and sweat rashes because it more readily absorbs the moisture than other fibers.[41]
As an animal protein, wool can be used as a soil fertilizer, being a slow-release source of nitrogen.
Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology school of fashion and textiles have discovered a blend of wool and Kevlar, the synthetic fiber widely used in body armor, was lighter, cheaper and worked better in damp conditions than Kevlar alone. Kevlar, when used alone, loses about 20% of its effectiveness when wet, so required an expensive waterproofing process. Wool increased friction in a vest with 28–30 layers of fabric, to provide the same level of bullet resistance as 36 layers of Kevlar alone.[42]
Events
A buyer of
In 2002, the Ermenegildo Zegna Vellus Aureum Trophy was launched for wool that is 13.9 microns or finer. Wool from Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and South Africa may enter, and a winner is named from each country.[43] In April 2008, New Zealand won the Ermenegildo Zegna Vellus Aureum Trophy for the first time with a fleece that measured 10.8 microns. This contest awards the winning fleece weight with the same weight in gold as a prize, hence the name.
In 2010, an ultrafine, 10-micron fleece, from Windradeen, near Pyramul, New South Wales, won the Ermenegildo Zegna Vellus Aureum International Trophy.[44]
Since 2000, Loro Piana has awarded a cup for the world's finest bale of wool that produces just enough fabric for 50 tailor-made suits. The prize is awarded to an Australian or New Zealand wool grower who produces the year's finest bale.[45]
The
In July, the annual Australian Sheep and Wool Show is held in
See also
Production
- Glossary of sheep husbandry
- Lambswool
- Sheep husbandry
- Sheep shearing
- Wool bale
Processing
Refined products
- Felt
- Fiber art
- Tweed
- Worsted
- Yarn
- Wool crepe
- Wool satin
- Wool coating
- Wool melton
Organizations
Miscellaneous wool
- Alpaca wool
- Angora wool
- Cashmere wool
- Chiengora wool
- Glass wool
- Llama wool
- Lopi
- Mineral wool
- Mohair
- Pashmina
- Shahtoosh
- Tibetan fur
References
- ^ ISBN 0-684-31394-4.
- ^ Simmons, Paula (2009). Storey's Guide to Raising Sheep. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing. pp. 315–316.
- ISBN 0-86840-106-4.
- ^ Wool Facts Archived 2014-05-26 at the Wayback Machine. Aussiesheepandwool.com.au. Retrieved on 2012-08-05.
- ^ Wool History Archived 2008-05-09 at the Wayback Machine. Tricountyfarm.org. Retrieved on 2012-08-05.
- ^ a b The Land, Merinos – Going for Green and Gold, p.46, US use flame resistance, 21 August 2008
- S2CID 33537360.
- ^ a b c d e Preparation of Australian Wool Clips, Code of Practice 2010–2012, Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX), 2010
- ^ "Technology in Australia 1788–1988". Australian Science and Technology Heritage Center. 2001. Archived from the original on 2006-05-14. Retrieved 2006-04-30.
- ^ Wu Zhao (1987). A study of wool carbonizing (PhD). University of New South Wales. School of Fibre Science and Technology. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014.
- ^ Bradford Industrial Museum 2015.
- ^ "Merino Sheep in Australia". Archived from the original on 2006-11-05. Retrieved 2006-11-10.
- ^ Van Nostran, Don. "Wool Management – Maximizing Wool Returns". Mid-States Wool growers Cooperative Association. Archived from the original on 2010-01-01. Retrieved 2006-11-10.
- ISBN 0-86840-106-4.
- ^ "1PP Certification". Australian Wool Exchange. Archived from the original on 2012-07-18.
- ^ a b c d Robert E. Freer. "The Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939." Archived 2016-06-05 at the Wayback Machine Temple Law Quarterly. 20.1 (July 1946). p. 47. Reprinted at ftc.gov. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ISBN 0-8134-2464-X.
- ISBN 1-931993-49-1.
- ISBN 0-8138-2799-X.
- ^ "Fibre history". Woolmark. Archived from the original on 2006-08-28.
- ^ a b c d Fernand Braudel, 1982. The Wheels of Commerce, vol 2 of Civilization and Capitalism (New York:Harper & Row), pp.312–317
- ISBN 9780521859417.
- ^ "Florentine Woolen Manufacture in the Sixteenth Century:Crisis and New Entrepreneurial Strategies" (PDF). THe Business History Conference.
- ^ "The end of pastoral dominance" Archived 2007-08-19 at the Wayback Machine. Teara.govt.nz (2009-03-03). Retrieved on 2012-08-05.
- ^ 1301.0 – Year Book Australia, 2000 Archived 2017-07-01 at the Wayback Machine, Australian Bureau of Statistics
- ^ "The History of Wool" Archived 2015-04-27 at the Wayback Machine. johnhanly.com
- ^ Superwash Wool Archived 2009-03-09 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 10 November 2008
- ^ World’s Finest Bale Record Broken. landmark.com.au, 22 November 2004
- ^ Country Leader, NSW Wool Sells for a Quarter of a Million, 7 July 2008
- ^ Shower suit Archived 2011-08-22 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 11 November 2008
- ^ "Sheep 101". Archived from the original on 28 November 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016. According to this chart, US production is around 10,000 tonnes (11,000 short tons), hugely at variance with the percentage list, and way outside year-to-year variability.
- FAOSTAT(Food And Agriculture Organization Of The United Nations Statistics). Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ Speer, Jordan K. (2006-05-01). "Shearing the Edge of Innovation". Apparel Magazine. Archived from the original on 2015-05-26.
- ^ Bolt, C (2004-04-07). "AWH to set up wool auctions". The Age. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
- ^ Wool Production in New Zealand. maf.govt.nz
- ^ Wool Marketing. sheepusa.org
- ^ ISBN 978-0-13-118769-6.
- ^ Shell, Hanna Rose. "Leftovers / Devil's Dust". cabinetmagazine.org.
- ISBN 87-7288-935-7.
- OCLC 910448387.
- ^ ABC Rural Radio: Woodhams, Dr. Libby, New research shows woollen underwear helps prevent rashes Archived 2011-08-23 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2010-3-24
- ^ Blenkin, Max (2011-04-11). "Wool's tough new image". Country Leader.
- ^ "2004/51/1 Trophy and plaque, Ermenegildo Zegna Vellus Aureum trophy and plaque, plaster / bronze / silver / gold, trophy designed and made by Not Vital for Ermenegildo Zegna, Switzerland, 2001". Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. Archived from the original on 2007-05-19. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
- ^ Country Leader, 26 April 2010, Finest wool rewarded, Rural Press, North Richmond
- ^ Australian Wool Network News, Issue #19, July 2008
- ^ "Fletcher Wins Australian Fleece Comp". Walcha News. 24 July 2008. p. 3. Archived from the original on 27 July 2008. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
External links
- . . 1914.
- New International Encyclopedia. 1905. .