Département of Livestock and Product Technology

Assignment Paper-I

Physico-chemical Properties of Wool

Wool: Wool is a natural fiber sourced from animals. It grows from the skin of sheep, goats. Rabbit and
alpacas are also used for producing high quality wool. This natural fiber is composed of a protein known as
Keratin and is a coarse fiber.

Properties of Wool: The fiber is wavy, crimpy and has scales on its surface. The appearance of wool varies,
depending on the breed of sheep. While some fibers can be having finer scales, others can have crimp and
coarser scales. Wool fiber is susceptible to heat and has a felting property, caused due to the scales on the
surface.

Physical Properties:

Strength:

▫ Wool is the weakest of the natural textile fibers.

▫ Wool fiber is strengthened by the used of ply yarns.
▫ A hard twisted two-ply yarn may be regarded as an assurance of durability.
▫ Tightly twisted single yarns also make a strong fabric.

Color:

▫ Color of the fiber is a desirable factor to determine the wool quality.

▫ In general, the color of wool is white to light creamy.
▫ This variation in color is due to the disulphide Bonds

Luster:

▫ Lustre is an important aesthetic property of wool fiber.

▫ It refers to the light reflecting characteristic of wool Fiber.
▫ The luster also depends on origin, breed, and climate in which the sheep is reared. High lustrous
wools are demanded by carpet
▫ manufacturers.
▫ The coarse wool possesses high luster than fine merino wool. coarser type of wools Lustre is an
important aesthetic property of wool fiber.
▫ It refers to the light reflecting characteristic of wool Fiber.
▫ The luster also depends on origin, breed, and climate in which the sheep is reared. High lustrous
wools are demanded by carpet industry
▫ manufacturers.
▫ The coarse wool possesses high luster than fine merino wool. coarser type of wools

Elasticity:

▫ Depending upon the quality of wool, the fiber may be stretched from 25-30 percent of its natural
length
▫ This characteristic reduces the danger of tearing under tension.
▫ This characteristic contributes to the free body movements.
 ▫ The chemical treatment also gives better shape retention.

Stress-Strain Behavior:

▫ The stress-strain behavior of wool fiber subjected to longitudinal determination depends on the
temperature and humidity conditions.
▫ The changes are due to the influence of temperature and humidity on the macro molecular
structure of the wool.
▫ The coarse wool is having more strength than fine wool.
▫ Medullation in coarse wool fiber significantly influences the strain-stress characteristics of wool
fiber.
▫ The breaking load, elongation and work of rupture are greater in medullated fibers than non-
medullated fiber.

Stress Relaxation:

▫ If a single wool fiber is stretched to, and then held at a fixed strain, its stress gradually decays
with time, a process called stress relaxation.
▫ The relaxation of stress in wool fiber is attributed to the breaking of various physical and
chemical cross links on extension and their reformation with passage of time.

Resilience:

▫ Wool fiber has a high degree of resilience.

▫ Superior quality wool is soft & resilient
▫ Inferior quality wool gives a harsh feeling.
▫ Due to the high degree of resiliency, wool fabric wrinkles less than some others.

Hygroscopic Nature:

▫ Wool fiber is very hygroscopic in nature and it

▫ can absorb about 30% of moisture of its own weight without feeling wet.
▫ The amount of moisture absorbed under atmospheric condition is a function of humidity and
temperature.
▫ The moisture regain of Merino wool at 63.3% RH is 13.97%.
▫ Indian wool absorbs less moisture at given humidity than merino wool. The hygroscopic
properties are important not only
▫ Because of the weight changes but also vary its dimension, mechanical and electrical properties.

Heat of wetting:

▫ The phenomenon of ability to give off a small steady amount of heat while absorbing moisture”
is known as heat of wetting. (Similar to heat evolved when conc. Acid is added to water)
▫ Wool is renowned for its heat of wetting.
▫ Among the textile fibers, wool liberates the greatest amount of heat (113 Joules/g). The greater
the moisture absorption of.

Compressibility:

▫ The compressibility of wool is a measure of handle (touch feel).

▫ Wool of low resistance to compression has a softer handle than wool of the same average fiber
diameter.
▫ Resistance to compression is highest among fine short wool fibers of better style. It is due to higher
crimp FRICTIONAL PROPERTIES
▫ Friction in wool is an important surface characteristic which play a key role during processing.
▫ It is a desirable property to hold together the fibers in a spun yarn and the interlacing threads in a
fabric.
▫ Friction in wool is known for felting properties.
▫ The pattern of the scales significantly influences the frictional properties of wool fibers. Larger
frictional force occurs in fine wools than coarse type wool.

Effect of Heat:

▫ Wool becomes harsh at 100˚C & begins to decompose at slightly higher temperature.
▫ It has plastic quality which helps to have shape at melting temperature.

❖ It has excellent draping quality due to its pliability, elasticity, and resiliency.
❖ The tensile strength of wool in dry condition is 1 – 1.7 and 0.8 – 1.6 in wet condition.
❖ Standard elongation is 25 – 35% and 25 – 50% in wet condition.
❖ It has good elastic recovery.
❖ Specific gravity is 1.3 – 1.32.
❖ Standard moisture regain is 14 – 18%.
❖ Luster of courser fiber is higher than finer fiber.

Chemical Properties:

Wool is a protein fiber and it has some chemical properties. Chemical Properties of the wool fiber is given
below:

Effects of Acids:

o Wool is attacked by hot concentrated sulphuric acid and decomposes completely.

o It is in general resistant to mineral acids of all strength even at elevated temperature though nitric
acids tend to cause damage by oxidation.
 Effects of Alkalis:

o The chemical nature of wool keratin is such that it is particularly sensitive to alkaline substances.
o Wool will dissolve in caustic soda solutions that would have little effects on cotton.
o Strong alkaline effect on wool fiber but weak alkaline does not affect wool.

Effects of Organic Solvent:

o Wool does not affect in organic solvents.

o Effects of Insects:
o Wool affected by insects.

Effects of Micro Organism:

o It affected by mildew if it remains wet for long time.

Dyeing ability:

o Wool fiber could be dyed by basic dye, direct dye, and acid dye.

♦ During chemical processing, the wool fiber and yarns are treated with wide range of chemicals at
moderate to hot temperature.
♦ The conditions of treatments being very severe, wool fibers are damaged resulting in loss of
strength and increase in alkali solubility and harshness.
♦ The processing of wool with different chemicals
♦ under industrial conditions is carried out for different durations and at different temperature and
concentrations.
♦ Thus, understanding of the behavior of attack of
♦ different chemicals on the wool fiber are of paramount importance

Conclusion: It is noted that; all the wool fiber is not same in characteristics. It varies depending on the wool’s
country of origin and sheep type. So, choose your wool fiber after confirming about the physical and chemical
properties of wool fiber.

Submitted to: Dr. V.P.Singh

Dr. Akhilesh Kumar Verma

Dr. Pramila Umaraw

Submitted By: Ashwini Shukla

Batch B

V-4294/18

Thanking You