SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.103 issue3-4 author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Article

Indicators

Related links

  • On index processCited by Google
  • On index processSimilars in Google

Share


South African Journal of Science

On-line version ISSN 1996-7489
Print version ISSN 0038-2353

S. Afr. j. sci. vol.103 n.3-4 Pretoria Mar./Apr. 2007

 

RESEARCH LETTERS

 

The effect of coarse edge on wool spinning performance and yarn properties

 

 

Anton F. BothaI; Lawrance HunterII

ICSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing, P.O. Box 1124, Port Elizabeth 6000, South Africa
IIDepartment of Textile Science, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6000, South Africa

 

 


ABSTRACT

The interrelationship of natural fibre, yarn and fabric properties is both important and complex, and has attracted considerable research. An area which has received little attention is that concerning the effect of fibre diameter distribution, notably of relatively coarse fibres, on processing behaviour and yarn and fabric properties, except for their well-known effect on handle and prickle (scratchiness). Prickle is an unpleasant sensation sometimes experienced with garments worn next to the skin. The effect of fibre diameter distribution, of coarse fibres (or coarse edge, CE) in particular, on spinning performance and yarn properties, was investigated for 400 different wools. Multiple regression analyses were carried out to quantify the relationships between all the main fibre properties, including CE, on the one hand, and the spinning performance and yarn properties on the other hand. We found that CE had no significant effect on spinning performance and yarn properties, except for yarn neps and yarn hairiness. These findings are important for sheep breeding practices as well as for selecting the most appropriate wools when yarn of a specified quality is to be processed, because attention needs be paid only to fibre diameter, not to coarse edge.


 

 

“Full text available only in PDF format”

 

 

REFERENCES

1. Hunter L. (1980). The effects of wool fibre properties on processing performance and yarn and fabric properties. Proc. 6th Int. Wool Text. Res. Conf., Pretoria, 1, 134.         [ Links ]

2. Hunter L. (1987). A summary of SAWTRI's research on wool and wool blends-1952-1987. SAWTRI Special Publication, Wol 78, CSIR, Port Elizabeth.         [ Links ]

3. Garnsworthy R.K., Gully R.L., Kandiah R.P., Kenins P., Mayfield R.J. and Westerman R.A. (1988). Understanding the causes of prickle and itch from skin contact of fabrics. Aust. Text. 8(4), 26-29.         [ Links ]

4. Botha A.F. (2005). The fibre diameter distribution, particularly the coarse edge, of South African wool, and its effect on textile performance. Ph.D. thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth.         [ Links ]

5. Turpie D.W.F. (1975). A rapid measure of spinning potential -'mean spindle speed at break'. SAWTRI Techn. Rep. No. 240, Port Elizabeth.         [ Links ]

6. Hunter L., Turpie D.W.F and Gee E. (1982). The effect off wool properties on worsted processing performance and on yarn and fabric properties. SAWTRI Techn. Rep. No. 502, Port Elizabeth.         [ Links ]

7. Kenins P. (1992). The cause of prickle and the effect of some fabric construction parameters on prickle sensation. Wool Tech. Sheep Breed. 40(1), 19-24.         [ Links ]

8. Garnsworthy R.K., Mayfield R.J., Gully R.L., Westerman R.A. and Kenins P. (1985). Mechanics in contaneous sensations of prickle and itch evoked by fabrics. Proc. 7th Int. Wool Text. Res. Conf., Tokyo, 3, 190-199.         [ Links ]

 

 

Received 7 November 2005
Accepted 24 April 2007.

 

 

We are indebted to the various staff members of the Fibre and Textiles Centre of the Materials Science and Manufacturing Operating Unit of the CSIR for technical assistance and statistical analyses. Permission by Cape Wools SA to publish these results is also appreciated.
* Author for correspondence. E-mail: afbotha@csir.co.za

Creative Commons License All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License