STUDY OF PROTEIN

FIBERS (WOOL)
MOHAMMAD RAZA MIAH (PH.D.)
DOCTOR OF ENGINEERING IN MATERIALS PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY
UNIVERSITY OF CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (UCAS)
 WOOL

• What is Wool?
• Wool is a textile fiber obtained from sheep and some other animals, including cashmere and mohair from
goats, qiviut from muskoxen, angora from rabbits, and other types of wool from camelids.
 CULTIVATION OF WOOL

• Wool is a natural fiber and is widely used in making apparel items

(garments and clothes). Wool is obtained by shearing fleece (hair) from
sheep and other animals. There are other animals from which wools are
also collected - like cashmere goat, angora rabbit, yak, llama, and alpaca
camel. Farming of animals is done for cultivating wool fibers.
• Where wool is cultivated?
• Australia is a leading producer of wool which is mostly from Merino
sheep but has been eclipsed by China in terms of total weight. New
Zealand (2016) is the third-largest producer of wool, and the largest
producer of crossbred wool.
 GROWTH OF WOOL

• Wool is possibly the oldest fiber known to humans. It was one of the first fibers to be spun into yarn and woven
into a fabric. Wool mostly comes from sheep but also from alpacas, camels, and goats. Australia, Eastern Europe,
New Zealand, and China are major wool producers. The American woolen industry began in the Massachusetts
settlements in 1630, where each household was required by law to produce wool cloth.
 HARVESTING OF WOOL

• The process is called sheering. A sheering specialist can sheer 200 sheep in a
day. A ewe, or female sheep, can produce up to 15 pounds of wool. A ram, or
male sheep, can 20 pounds of wool. The sheared wool is called raw wool and
since sheep don’t take showers, it must first be cleaned.
• Next, the wool is carded – that means brushing the wool to straighten the
fibers. Once done by hand, these days a carding machine passes the wool
through a series of rollers covered with wire bristles. The carded fibers are
gently scraped into strands called roving. The roving is spun into yarn that is
then woven into cloth. In the past, the task of spinning usually was the job of
unmarried females – they became spinsters.
• Fleece is a ball of wool taken from a single animal in a shearing. But not all
wool is equal – even when it comes from the same animal. The highest quality
wool comes from the sides, shoulders, and back. The lowest quality comes
from the lower legs.
 EXTRACTION OF WOOL FROM SHEEP STEP BY STEP

• The steps involved in wool production are as follows-

• Shearing – The process of removal of the woolen coat or fleece from the
animal is called shearing. This is done without harming the animal by using
shearing tools such as scissors, hand blades and electric shears. Shearing is
usually done during the hot season. This allows them to grow back hair by the
time winter arrives. The amount of wool produced by one sheep varies from 1
to 3 kg.
• Scouring – Wool taken directly from the sheep is called raw or grease wool.
The raw sheared wool is washed with detergent and alkali in tanks to remove
grease, dust and dirt.This is called scouring. Nowadays it is done by machine.
 EXTRACTION OF WOOL FROM SHEEP STEP BY
STEP…
• Sorting and grading – After scouring the damaged or inferior wool is removed. This process is called sorting. The
process of sorting the wool according to the length, color and texture of fibers is called grading.
• Carding – Before the wool can be used for making fabric it is disentangled and cleaned. The intermixed fibers are
separated to form continuous fibers. This process is called carding, the wood fibers are passed through a series of
metal teeth to straighten the fibers.
• Making yarn – Carded wool is twisted into a rope called silver. The silver is stretched and twisted into a thin yarn.
Spinning for woolen yarns is typically done on a mule spinning machine.
• Washing and finishing – Woolen yarn is woven or knitted into the fabric which is then used to make finished
products such as clothes, table cloths and bags.
 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF WOOL

• Currently, Australia is the world’s largest wool producer, producing

around 25% of greasy wool in the world market. The value of
Australian wool exports in 2015-16 is estimated to be around $3
billion, according to the Department of Agriculture and Water
Resources of Australia. Wool is produced in all Australian states
except the Northern Territory. New South Wales produces the
greatest volume of wool, followed by Victoria, Western Australia,
and South Australia. In 2014-15, it is estimated that over 70 million
sheep were shorn in Australia.
 GRADING OF WOOL FIBER

• Wool is graded for fineness and length. The length varies from place to place on the animal, but it mostly varies
amongst sheep breeds. Australian Merino wool is 3-5 inches long. Breeds found in Texas and California produce
fibers 2.5 inches long.Wool from other breeds and other animals may be as long as 15 inches.
 CLASSIFICATION OF WOOL FIBERS

• Firstly, wool fibers are classified based on quality: • Secondly, wool fibers are classified depending on
• 1. Fine wool (merino wool) fiber length:
• 1. Noels
• 2. Medium wool
• 3. Long wool • 2. Strictly combing

• 4. Crossbred wool • 3. French combing

• 4. Clothing
• 5. Carpet wool
CLASSIFICATION OF WOOL FIBERS…

• Thirdly, wool fibers are classified based on the age of sheep:

• 1. Lamps wool
• 2. Hogget wool
• 3. Weather wool
• 4. Pulled wool
• 5. Deep wool
• 6. Cotty wool
• 7. Tag looks wool
 PHYSICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF
WOOL
• The wool fiber is complex in structure and composed essentially of three tissues, the cuticle, the cortex, and
the medulla. Each of these, however, is further subdivided by tissue differentiation. A purely diagrammatic
illustration of the structure of a non-medullated fiber has shown in the figure.
• Membrane – dyes, and moisture can penetrate the membrane and it’s this which enables the fiber to absorb
humidity.
• Cortex – comprises 90% of the fiber. Millions of cells bind together to create cortical cells.
• Cortical cells – fine wool contains two main types are para-cortical and ortho-cortical and each has a unique
chemical composition. Basically, these cells put the crimp in wool.
• Macro fibrils – these are the long filaments found inside the cortical cells. In turn, these are made up of
microfibrils.
• Matrix – This makes wool absorbent, fire-resistant, and anti-static. The high sulfur proteins attract water molecules
allowing the wool to absorb up to 30% of its weight in water.
• Microfibril – think of these twisted molecular chains as supporting structures providing strength and flexibility.
• Twisted molecular chain and helical coil – these protein chains work much like springs and give wool its
flexibility, elasticity, and resilience so that it can keep its shape free of wrinkles.
 MICROSCOPIC VIEW (LONGITUDINAL AND CROSS-
SECTIONAL) OF WOOL
• Longitudinal View
• Cylindrical, irregular, rough surface, scale-like structure, and dark medulla may appear on coarse wool fibers.

• Cross-Sectional View
• Nearly round or circular, the medulla may appear.
 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF WOOL

• Chemical compositions in wool fiber: The compositions in wool keratin:

Component Percentage (%) Component Percentage (%)

Keratin 33 Carbon 50

Dirt 26 Hydrogen 12

Suint 28 Nitrogen 25

Fat 12 Oxygen 10

Mineral matters 1 Sulfur 3

Total = 100 Total = 100

 STRUCTURE AND BONDS OF WOOL

• Wool is a protein fiber collected from the fur of sheep. Its protein fiber consists of C, H, O, N, S, etc.
 PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF WOOL

• Physical properties
• Crimps: Wool fiber is more or less wavy and has twisted. This waviness is termed as ‘crimp’. The finer the
wool the more will be the crimps in it. Merino wool has 30 crimps per inch while coarse wool has one or two.
• Effect of friction: Friction will soften the wool fiber especially when wet and thus is advantageous in
maintaining the smooth, soft texture of fabrics.
• Effect of heat: Low heat has no effect but strong heat weakens the fiber and destroys the color of the fiber.
• Effect of moisture: Wool is the most hygroscopic in nature. It can absorb up to 50% of its weight and carry
up to 20% of weight, without giving the feeling of being wet. Upon drying it losses moisture slowly preventing
rapid evaporation thus avoiding a chilling feel to the user. It absorbs perspiration after violent exercise and
guards the body against sudden changes in temperature.
 PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF
WOOL…
• Felting: Wool fibers interlock and contract when exposed to heat, moisture, and pressure. The scale-like exterior of
the fibers contributes to felting. The fibers get softened in weak alkaline solutions due to the expansion of scales at
their free edges, with friction and pressure they again interlock to form a felt. This property is used in making felts for
hats, shoes, floor-coverings, and soundproofing purposes.
• Heat conductivity: Wool fiber is a part that is a poor conductor of heat and therefore the fabrics made from the
fiber are considered most suitable for winter wear.
• Resiliency: Wool is highly resilient and comes to its original shape when hung after wrinkled or created.
• Strength: It is stronger than silk. When wet wool loses about 25% of its strength. The longer the fiber the greater
will be the strength of the yarn.
• Stretchability: Wool is highly elastic. It is about 10 to 30% stretched when dry and 40 to 50% when wet upon
receiving pressure upon drying it readily regains its original dimensions.
• Shrink-ability: Wool is resistant to shrinkage. However long exposure to moisture may cause shrinkage.
 PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF
WOOL…
• Chemical properties
• Action of acids: Dilute acids have little effect but either hot or concentrated acids weaken or dissolve the wool
fibers.
• Action of alkalis: Alkalis tend to make wool yellowish, strong solutions of sodium carbonate when heated
destroy the fiber sodium hydroxide is highly injurious to the wool fiber. However, borax and ammonia have no
harmful influence on wool.
• Action of organic solvent: Wool does not affect in organic solvents.
• Action of bleach: Chlorine bleach is ordinary harmful to the wool. KMnO4, and Na2O2 are utilized for
bleaching.
• Dyeing ability: Wool absorbs many different dyes deeply, uniformly, and directly without the use of other
chemicals. Because of this ability, wool is known for the beautiful, rich colors that can be achieved.
 END USES OF WOOL/APPLICATION OF WOOL
FIBERS
• Uses of wool fibers in the following -
• 1. To make woolen yarns - Woolen yarns are made of wool. These
woolen yarns are used for making handmade sweaters, caps, and gloves.
Wools are available in various colors and shades.
• 2. To make woolen clothes - Wool is used in making different clothes
including high-end suits (coats and trousers). The cardigan, sweaters, fleece
items, underwear, socks are made of wool. Even t-shirts and shirts are made
of wool (woolen fabric). Woolen clothes give better warmth compared to
clothes made of other fibers like cotton, silk, and polyester. Due to its
properties of absorbing moisture and insulating against heat and cold.
 END USES OF WOOL/APPLICATION OF WOOL
FIBERS…
• 3. Accessories made of wool - Hats, scarves (muffler), gloves, and
other forms of cold-weather gear are made of wool.

• 4. To make Quilts and blankets - In winter, we love sleeping under

soft and warm quilts. Do you know what is used inside the quilts? Those
are wool fibers. Wool is used in making blankets. In India, woolen blankets
are commonly used to cover the body from cold in the winter.
 END USES OF WOOL/APPLICATION OF WOOL
FIBERS…
• 5. To make hard crafts items - Woolen yarns are used for hand
embroidery work. For making floor mats, table cover mats, and mats for
covering home items.

• 6. Used in making carpets - Wool is also used in making carpets.

 END USES OF WOOL/APPLICATION OF WOOL
FIBERS…
• 7.Wool is used in making felt fabrics.

• 8.Wool is also used in soft furnishings and beddings.