Wool: Introduction, Productions and Uses

Wool is a type of animal fiber that comes from sheep and other animals. Animal fibers are fibers that are derived naturally from animals. Animals that dwell in cold climates have thick coats of hair on their bodies. Because air is a poor conductor of heat, these coatings assist the animals in trapping air and keeping them warm. The warmth of an animal's body is trapped by the air caught in the hair on its body. As a result, the animal's thick coat of fur shields them from the cold. Goats, camels, and sheep are among the animals.

Key Terms- Wool, animal fibers, production of wools, uses of wools, Wool quality

Also read: Spinning Of Cotton Yarn

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What is Wool?

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The most widely utilized animal fiber is wool. Wool is silky, wavy (or curly) hair that covers a sheep's body. Woolen materials have a higher bulk (than cotton fabrics) and trap more air as a result of their waviness. Woolen fabrics, as a result, keep us warmer on frigid winter days.

• Sheep's fleece (or hair) is used to make wool. 
• Sheep generate wool on their bodies, which is sheared once a year (cut off). 
• Wool is mostly produced by sheep, although it is also produced by other species.

Different colored Wools

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Types Of Wools

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The types and qualities of the wool depends on the breeds of the animal.

• Sheep Wool- obtained from ships and mostly used in Tibet and Ladakh.
• Angora Wool- made from the far of angora goats, mostly used in hill areas like Jammu and Kashmir, mostly used in making fine quality shawls.
• There are wools that are made of camel, alpaca, and ilama furs.

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Production of Wool

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Wool goes through four stages in the production process. The following are the measures to take:

• Shearing

Sheep's hair and a thin layer of skin (known as fleece) are taken from their bodies. Shearing is the process of removing (or cutting off) hair from a sheep's body in the form of fleece. A cutting machine is used to remove the hair off sheep.

Shearing does not cause harm to sheep since the top layer of their skin is "dead." Sheep are sheared (their hair is trimmed) in the hot summer months so that they can live without their protective covering of hair. Sheep's hair regrows before winter arrives, protecting them from the cold. Sheep's fleece (or hair) is used to make woolen fibers.

• Scouring

Sheep's fleece (or cut hair) contains dust, grime, dried sweat, and grease, among other things. Sheep's fleece (or chopped hair) is washed extensively in tanks using soap (or detergent) and a lot of water.

• Scouring is the process of cleaning the fleece (sheep's cut hair) to remove dust, grime, dried sweat, and grease. 
• The sheep's fleece is cleaned by scouring. After that, the scoured (or washed) fleece is dried. 

• Sorting

The wool in a sheep's fleece is not consistent throughout. Fine wool fibers can be found in certain regions of the fleece, whereas coarse wool fibers can be found in others. Long wool fibers can be found in certain regions of the fleece, whereas short wool fibers can be found in others. The fleece is delivered to a plant for sorting, where it is broken down and split into sections of various grade fibers.

• Sorting is the process of dividing a sheep's fleece into groups based on the quality of the woolen fibers. 
• The same grade wool from a large number of sheep's fleece is then blended together.
• The hairy skin is transferred to enterprises that separate or sort hairs of various textures. 
• Burrs are removed from the hair with a burr picker. Burrs are tiny fluffy fibers. 
• Bacillus Anthracis is a bacterium that infects humans who are involved in this procedure. Sorter's sickness is the name for this illness.

• Dyeing

Sheep (or goat) natural fleece or hair is white, brown, or black in color. Sorting produces white woolen fibers that may be dyed in a variety of colors.

• Combing

Combing is a technique for preparing woolen fibers for spinning the yarn. Metal-toothed combs are used to do this. Combing straightens entangled woolen fibers while also removing little fluffy fibers (known as "burrs") that may be stuck in them.

• Spinning

Wool is made from long woolen fibers that are spun (or twisted) into a thick yarn known as wool. Woolen fabric is made from short woolen fibers spun into fine yarn and then woven on a loom (like shawls, etc.). The breed of sheep from which wool is derived determines the quality of woolen material.

Preparation of Wools

Also read: Silkworm

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Wool Quality Evaluation

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The following factors can be used to evaluate the quality of wool.

1. The quality of the wool is determined by the thickness of the fiber. The thinner the fiber, the higher the quality of the wool.
2. Waviness- A high-quality wool is crispier than low-quality wool.
3. Wool of excellent grade has a short fiber length.

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Uses of Wool

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Here are the basic uses of Wool-

• Sweaters are made out of wool.
• Carpets have been made from wool.
• Wool is used in the production of wool felt. Noises from heavy machinery and stereo speakers are absorbed using them.
• Hand embroidery is done using woolen yarns. For use in the creation of floor mats, table cover mats, and mats to protect household belongings.
• Wool is also utilized in bedding and soft furnishings.

Also read: Fibrous Materials

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Things to Remember

• Wool is a natural moisture absorber.
• Wool smolders rather than burning over a flame.
• Wool is a transparent material.
• Wool does not wrinkle readily, therefore we do not need to iron it on a regular basis.
• Wool materials are dirt-resistant.

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