Property Structure Correlations in Wool Fibers

Abstract

We have compared the mechanical properties of wool fibers from three different breeds of sheep, Lincoln, Chokla, and Merino. The tensile moduli are highest for Lincoln, followed by Chokla and Merino fibers, but there is a reverse trend in the torsional modulus. The differences in mechanical properties are explained in terms of differences in the histological structure of the cortex, i. e., the content and arrangement of ortho and para cells, and they are correlated to crystallinity, molecular orientation, glass transition temperature, and matrix rigidity.