Extraction of Wool

Learn How Wool is Obtained from Sheep

The chapter ‘Fibre to Fabric’ is an exceptional platform where students will learn how to extract natural and artificial fibre from different sources and are used for various purposes. Now that you have already figured out fibres are of two types i.e., natural and artificial, we will proceed to a part of this chapter to elaborate on a particular concept properly. Here, we will discuss how to process wool. Wool processing is not as simple as it sounds. To understand this new concept, students must have a proper platform to resolve their doubts. 

This is why Vedantu has come up with an excellent concept page where students will discover a simplified way of understanding how wool is extracted from the fibre collected from sheep. The wool processing steps will be properly elaborated using simpler language so that you can easily grab the concept and write proper answers to all the questions.

What is Wool Processing?

Before entering the concept page of wool processing steps, you must first know what fibre is. It is a thin continuous strand made of smaller strands extracted from the fibres of animals and synthetic sources. The natural fibres have to go through a unique process to release the small strands from the clump so that they can be yarned and fabric strands can be formed.

Wool is an animal fibre extracted from the fur of sheep, goat, camel, yak, etc. The hair covering their body is removed skillfully and then treated in a particular way to extract woollen fibres first. The reason for using animal fur to manufacture fabric is insulation. The animal fur we use to create wool is extremely helpful in retaining body heat and warding off the cold chills in the winter. The air trapped inside the hair of the fabric can perfectly insulate the body to keep us warm in the chilly winters.

This fur is simply shaved off from the animals’ skin without hurting them. You will learn how is wool obtained from sheep after shaving the fur off. Let us move to the process of converting this fur into the smooth and silky woollen fabric.

How to Extract Wool from Sheep Fur?

Here is a stepwise representation of making wool from the sheep fur.

• Sheep Fur Collection

This is the first step of the process of making wool from sheep. The fur quality is identified first and then shaved. Only the skin fur is collected, not the beard hair. The fur is then sent to the manufacturing unit for further processes.

• Shearing

Shearing is the process of collecting the fur from the sheep’s skin. They do not feel hurt as the skin hair cells are all dead. This process is called shearing. Shearing is done using proper equipment so that the maximum of the skin hair is collected.

• Scouring

Once the fur is collected, it needs to be properly scoured. This is done to separate the hair fibres as much as possible from dirt and lumps. Skin grease, dirt, dust and other impurities should be removed as much as possible so that pure fibre can be extracted. This is the second step of how is wool obtained. Scouring is done using spring water in big tanks. The dirt removal is done by automatic machines these days.

• Sorting

This is the fourth step in the process of making wool. Sorting is the process done where the hair of different types and textures are separated and sorted. This is done to separate the low-quality hair from the high-quality ones. The lower quality hair is rougher than high-quality hair. This is why the former is used to make rugs whereas the high-quality hair is used to make comfortable woollen clothes.

• Dyeing

This is the part of the wool production process where different colours are added to the fibres before converting them into the fabric. The colours are given using specific dyes that sit well with the woollen fibres.

• Straightening the Fibre, Rolling and Then Combing

This is the last of the steps for extraction of wool from sheep where the dyed fibre is straightened first. It is then rolled and combed to form yarns. These yarns are then sent to the weaving factories.

This is how wool is obtained from sheep and other animals. Study the entire process step by step from the concept page and understand the concept properly. You can refer to this page anytime to make your study schedule more flexible.