Effects of Using Metallic Wires to Mechanically Clean and Shorten Scoured Wool Fibers to Produce Cotton/Wool Blended Yarns

Abstract

A carding cleaner that simultaneously cleans and shortens scoured wool fibers was investigated with various combinations of fine, medium and coarse metallic wires on the cylinders, four cylinder velocity differentials, and six spacings between cylinders. The optimum velocity differential and cylinder spacing for each wire was determined by measuring average fiber length, fiber length distribution, and percent of removed trash. Using the optimum factors for each wire, scoured wool was cleaned and short ened, blended with cotton, and processed into ring and open-end spun yarns using the conventional cotton processing system. Control lots of identical cotton/wool yarns were spun with wool produced using conventional wool processing methods. The results show it is possible to clean and shorten scoured wool with metallic wire cylinders, blend the wool with cotton fibers, and produce quality blended yams. Processing with the coarse wire produced the best fiber length distribution. The strength and uniformity of ring open-end cotton/wool yarns produced from carding cleaner prepared wool compared favorably with control yarns, but contained more neps and imperfections. The carding cleaner needs an improved doffing system to minimize nep formation.