Wool Fibre | Types of Wool | Processing and spinning of Wool fiber

Wool Fiber

Hello everyone, in this article we gonna discussed about the wool fiber, types of wool and processing of wool fiber.

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Types of Wool

Based on the age of the sheep, it is classified into two types:

1. Lamb's Wool:- The finest wool is generally obtain from young sheep. Lamb's wool clipped at eight months is very fine and of excellent quantity.
2. Hog Wool:- Six months later when the sheep is fourteen months old, the wool  (hog) is stronger and thicker. As the animal grows older, the quality of wool decreases slightly.

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Processing and spinning of wool fiber

Spinning of wool is categorize two type of yarns:-

1. Woollen yarns
2. Worsted yarns

1. Woollen Yarns:- Woollen yarns are thick and full, loosely held and subjected to only a limited twist during spinning. Following process involves in processing of woollen yarns.

Scouring
(Raw wool is washed or scoured with warm water

containing detergent in order to remove impurities.)
↓
Steeping

(Impurities that remain after scouring can be destroyed by 

steeping the wool in dilute sulphuric acid and then heating at
high temperature.)
 ↓
Carbonizing

(Cellulosic material is burnt and can be broken up and 

beaten out of wool.)
 ↓
Passing through heavy crushable rollers

(Wool fibers is pass through heavy crushable rollers

to remove burrs and vegetable impurities.)
 ↓
Carding

(Wool is passed through rollers covered with sharp steel 

wires which disentangle the matted wool fibers.)
↓
Woollen yarns are spun

(Woollen yarns are spun from a mixture of new wool 

with reclaimed wool or with rayon or with rayon or
with cotton or with other fibers.)

2. Worsted Yarns:- Worsted yarns are finer, smoother and firmer. Fibers in worsted yarns are aligned so they lie closely alongside each other in the direction of the yarn. Following process involves in processing of woollen yarns.

Scouring
(Raw wool is washed or scoured with warm water

containing detergent in to remove impurities.)
↓
Dried by commission firms and stored 

 ↓
Carding

(Wool is pass through rollers which is cover with sharp steel 

wires which disentangle the matted wool fibers and opening
of fibers take place.)
 ↓
Worsted yarns are spun

The spinning of worsted yarns is carried out in one of four different ways:
Flyer Spinning is used with long wools(100-250mm).
Cap spinning is used very largely with botany and fine cross-bred wool.
Ring spinning has the highest output and is used for making the fine yarns.
Mule spinning is used for making continental worsteds, giving a full, soft yarn.