Wool innovations – introduction
Innovative wool textiles developed at AgResearch in Christchurch are meeting consumer demand for more functional fabrics and creating new opportunities for textile products.
Wool innovations
The wool has been through the scouring, carding, combing and drafting processes of the worsted system and is ready for spinning.
Consumer demand and new technology drives wool innovation
Changing consumer needs and lifestyles are driving demand for new fabrics that are lightweight, comfortable and easy to care for. The increasing range and functionality of synthetic fabrics has been meeting this consumer need and presenting a challenge for wool researchers.
Developments in spinning technology and fabric construction together with growing understanding of wool’s structure have helped researchers respond to the challenge, and now a variety of innovative wool textiles are meeting consumer demand.
Find out more about changes the structure of wool yarn during the spinning process in this video, How Solospun™ works. Developments include Natural Easy Care (NEC) wool and a new stab and flame-resistant fabric.
Evening dress made from NEC fabric
An evening dress designed by New Zealand fashion designer Sera Lilly using NEC wool fabric, modelled at New Zealand Fashion Week 2008.
Natural Easy Care (NEC) wool fabric
Made from fine Merino wool, Natural Easy Care fabrics (NEC) fabric has enhanced comfort properties and is lightweight and easy to care for at home – it can be machine washed, tumble dried and needs very little ironing. It’s being used for business shirts, suits, women’s wear and even bed sheets and nightwear.
Find out more about Developing Natural Easy Care fabrics.
Testing new easy care fabric performance
Standard testing using Woolmark Company specifications was an integral part of the fabric development. As AgResearch transfer the technology to commercial factories, they continue to test samples of the final fabric for quality control. Tests include shrink resistance, abrasion and pilling resistance and tensile strength.
Watch this video to find out more about testing Natural Easy Care fabrics.
Comfort and protection: new stab and flame-resistant fabric
Traditional stab and flame-resistant fabric is heavy, inflexible and uncomfortable to wear. Scientists have overcome this problem by incorporating wool into a unique new fabric structure. Wool’s properties improve the flame protection and make the fabric breathable and absorbent so it’s comfortable to wear.
AgResearch’s prototype stab-resistant vest
AgResearch’s prototype vest made from their new stab and flame-resistant fabric, which looks and feels like normal jacket fabric.
The new fabric looks and feels like regular wool jacket fabric and is comfortable to wear all day for normal daily tasks. Scientists recognise its potential for new market opportunities in protective clothing.
These articles, New stab and flame-resistant fabric and Wool fibre properties, give more information about this innovative fabric.
Advantages of new stab and flame-resistant fabric
Traditional stab and flame-resistant fabrics are inflexible and heavy, so they are uncomfortable to wear for extended lengths of time. Senior Scientist Dr Stewart Collie compares the new fabric with Kevlar – a traditional protective fabric. He explains the advantages of the new fabric and how the structure and the embedded wool fibre contributes to this.
Question to consider:
Can you think of other advantages this new fabric has over the traditional fabric?
New technology sparks idea for new stab and flame-resistant fabric
The idea for the new protective fabric came when AgResearch purchased a new type of machine – a Fibreknit machine. Scientists combined their knowledge of wool with the potential of the new machine and began experimenting with new fibre combinations.
After testing the performance of initial fabric samples, scientists recognised that it offered opportunities for protection in a wide range of situations where traditional protective garments wouldn’t be worn.
Testing stab resistance
New stab-resistant fabric developed at AgResearch offers a different level of protection to conventional stab-proof garments, so researchers developed their own test method to measure the different performance characteristics of the fabric. Here, Senior Scientist Dr Stewart Collie describes a standard test method and the rupture test they created.
Key terms to discuss: Optimise, rupture test, tensile testing, variable
Questions to consider:
Why is a standard test method with a pass/fail test result not helpful for developing a new material?
When would this type of test be appropriate to use?
Why was it necessary for the scientists to set up their own test method?
How may this help them in developing their material?
Growing market interest
Promotion of the new fabric and evidence of its performance have sparked market interest. Deciding on end uses and scaling up production are dependent on commercial partnerships being established.
Find out about the research and development behind this new stab and flame-resistant material, in this article, Developing new stab and flame-resistant fabric.
Demonstrating flame resistance
Incorporating wool fibre into a new stab and flame-resistant fabric developed at AgResearch increases its flame resistance and thermal protection. The wool fabric stops burning after the flame is removed, and the char that’s left helps prevent heat from passing through the fabric to the skin.
Questions to consider:
What is the key information needed from a flame resistance test?
What makes wool flame-resistant? (You could follow up discussion using the interactive: Wool fibre structure and properties).
How does wool provide thermal protection?
Take up the challenge
Investigate the properties of wool and how they link to its uses in the student activity Exploring wool fibre properties.
In the Making felt activity, students create felt from wool fibres to illustrate how the surface structure of wool fibres affects its washability.
In the unit plan, New opportunities for protective wear your students can consider the performance properties of new stab and flame-resistant fabric and design protective wear for new market opportunities.
Useful links
For more on wool research in New Zealand, see these websites below:
