We explain what wool is, how it originates, its classification and various uses. Also, what are its characteristics and production process.
What is wool?
It is known as wool an animal fiber typical of certain goat animals (such as sheep) and camelids (such as llamas, vicuñas and alpacas), obtained through a process called shearing. This fiber is used in the textile industry as a raw material for the production of various types of clothing.
In its different versions, wool is a thick and elastic fiber, which retains heat very well since it is a thermal insulator, it therefore protects both the animals from which it comes and the users of the clothing made from it from the cold.
See also: Cotton
Origin of wool
Wool originates, as we said before, from the skin of living animalswho produce it to keep warm and preserve body heat.
It is produced in the follicles: internal structures of the animal’s skin that penetrate deeply into its dermis, linked to the sebaceous and sweat glands.
Depending on the life cycle of the animal, the wool It is generated from certain stagesand may even vary in properties (and therefore, in quality). For example, the most valuable wool from sheep is produced between 3 and 6 years of age.
History of wool
The use of wool as a textile material by humans began in the Neolithic, when agricultural and agricultural work began. domestication of animals.
However, sheep and other animals of the time They did not always have the necessary characteristics for the production of wool, since they had short and coarse hair.
But it was done a process of selecting sheep and other animals especially cared for for their wool, which introduced sheep from Asia to the Near East and from there to Europe and America.
Composition of wool
The money It is composed mainly of an animal protein called keratin.the same that in other conditions allows the formation of nails, hooves, feathers, hair and horns in animals and humans.
Is an insoluble macromoleculeresistant, which is secreted by the animal’s epidermal cells, and is generally covered with waxy and lipid substances such as lanolin.
Classification of wool
Wool can be classified, in the first instance, by the animal that produces it: llama wool, alpaca wool, sheep wool, etc. Of all of them, however, the most used is sheep wool, which is usually classified as:
- Merino wool. Produced by the sheep of the same name, it has short, very fine fibres and wrinkles. It is used in the manufacture of fine garments, which makes it much more valuable.
- Woven wool. Of medium length and less fine than the previous one, it is used in the manufacture of fabrics, upholstery, carpets and blankets, or often in mixtures with Merino Wool or for carded fabrics.
- Ordinary wool. Wool obtained from ordinary sheep, which have not gone through a selection process. It is a type of wool that is long, soft and very thick. It is often used to make pillows, mattress stuffing and other similar products.
Physical properties of wool
Wool is an extensible fabric, capable of stretching without breaking, since its fibers are generally folded together. But it is also elastic, so it tends to preserve its shape, and is extremely flexible.
Perhaps its most interesting property is its enormous thermal insulation capacitysince its fibers, by not compacting, maintain an air space that works as an insulator.
Besides, It is extremely hygroscopic on its internal sidemeaning that it can normally absorb up to a third of its weight in water from the environment in a humid atmosphere. However, it dries slowly because its outer side is hydrophobic, so it retains the moisture of the skin it protects and does not dry it out, thus conserving heat.
Chemical properties of wool
Wool is fireproof, It does not produce flames and requires high temperatures to burn.. Likewise, it is resistant to organic solvents and mild acids, but not to alkalis, which are capable of denaturing the keratin and breaking the macromolecule.
Its chemical constitution also gives it a margin of resistance to the proliferation of fungi and bacteriabut at the same time it makes it vulnerable to insects, which can feed on it.
Uses of wool
The great uses of wool are, obviously, textiles. They are common the pieces of clothing to protect against the cold (gloves, scarves, sweaters, etc.), as well as blankets, quilts and rugs.
It is a used material as filling for pillows, seats and upholstery. Another use of wool is as an insulator in pianos, heavy machinery or as an odor and sound absorber.
wool process
Obtaining wool goes through different processes, which are:
- Shearing. Once a year the woolly animals are gathered and trimmed, without harming them, and the raw wool is collected. There are two methods for doing this: the Creole or maneado method, by tying the animal up, or the Australian method, with the animal loose.
- Washed. Raw wool is usually dirty and must be washed industrially, removing dust, sand and other impurities (vegetable remains, insects, etc.). For this, hot and cold water is used.
- Scared The wool is stretched during scrimping, manually separating the fibres without cutting them.
- Yarn. Using industrial or traditional methods, wool fibres are twisted to form a thick thread. This thread is used to make clothing or whatever else is desired.
- Had. Natural or artificial dyes are used to give the wool its desired colors.
Allergies it produces
Wool allergy is extremely common and is recognized by its main symptoms:
- Itchy skin, which may even escalate to burns and hives.
- Appearance of eczema that persists even after contact with wool has ceased.
- Breathing difficulties, sneezing, coughing.
- Eye irritation, runny nose, mucus.
wool trade
The wool textile industry It was extremely important in the Middle Agesand in Europe it proliferated enormously towards the 16th century, being a vital part of European and Atlantic trade.
Cities like Bruges, Antwerp and Verviers in Belgiumas well as Middelburg in Holland and Rouen in France, have traditionally been important in the wool trade, as have Burgos, Valladolid, Medina del Campo and Bilbao in Spain since the 13th century.
Currently the largest wool producers in the world are Australia, Argentina, China, India, Iran, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Uruguay.