Wool
Description
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Wool is a natural fiber that comes from various animals, most commonly sheep. After harvesting the hair from the animals, the hair needs to be spun into yarn. Unlike cotton, wool is 97% protein and 3% fat, making it have different uses that separate cotton from wool. Wool has a natural crimp when it is woven into textiles, which means it has a natural waviness to it. This aspect gives wool its great insulative properties. Wool is highly flame-resistant compared to many other natural and synthetic fibers. Instead of the flame spreading, the wool will char resisting the spread of the flame. If flame resistance is a high priority for a product wool is a great candidate for it. When it comes to sheep, before we domesticated them they had less wool. Over time we bred sheep into great wool producers. Humans have used wool for thousands of years. Recently after the introduction of synthetic fibers the demand for wool had a steep decline, even so, wool is an extremely popular and important fiber.
Environmental Impact
75% of wool's environmental impact comes from the animals alone. The most impactful byproducts are methane and nitrous oxide both being powerful greenhouse gases. These gasses are up to 30 times as impactful on greenhouse gases as carbon dioxide. Wool production has had an increase in scrutiny for its extreme mistreatment of the sheep. There have been numerous examples of sheep being beaten just to comply with commands. A wool sweater can cause upwards of 30 times the amount of greenhouse gas emissions compared to cotton. While wool may be a natural fiber the production process makes wool have a very high impact on the environment compared to many alternative fibers.
Interior Uses
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Carpet - Due to wool being naturally warm to the touch and being naturally insulative wool is a great covering for the floor if you have cold feet.
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Furniture - Furniture is a great use for wool as it has a very soft feeling, giving a very comfortable finish.
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Pillow - Similar to furniture wool is very soft making it an appealing material for pillows.
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Textured - This wall covering uses various wool processes in one to give the different textures
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Curtains - Wool's naturally insulative properties make it a great material for curtains.
Furniture
Wool makes a great material for furniture design. It is incredibly durable and it has a great level of stain resistance. Which makes it a great material to use for children as accidents are bound to happen. Wool also makes for an extremely comfortable finish, for furniture comfort and durability are the most important aspects. Along with all that wool furniture is generally a very long-lasting material. If safety is a very important factor wool doesn’t burn easily. Making it very safe for fire spread.
ASTM D1334, D2130