Comparison of characteristics of pile yarn and hand-woven carpet made from sheared wool and slipewool

Forty sheep skins were allocated into two groups. Group one was sheared using shearing machine and group two was chemically dewooled using 15 percent sodium sulfide. Results indicated that fibre diameter of slipewool (39.3 ± 2.3 µm) was significantly (P< 0.05) higher than the sheared wool fibers (36.3 ± 0.7 µm), but staple length of slipewool (3.3 ± 0.7 cm) was significantly (P< 0.05) lower than the sheared wool fibers (5.3 ± 0.2 cm). Percentage of relative length increase in yarns of slipewool was significantly (P< 0.05) higher than the sheared wool fibers. Staple strength of yarns made from slipewool was 1.7 gf/t which was considerably different from yarns made of sheared wool (2.1 gf/t). Percentage of color absorption, washing color fastness, light color fastness of yarns made of slipewool was considerably different from similar value of sheared wool. Thickness of carpets under dynamic and static force of the yarn made from slipewool (88.00 and 88.40 unit) was different from that of yarn made from sheared wool (93.09 and 91.46 unit). Use of slipewool in hand-woven carpet should be avoided due to decrease in yarn strength, color fastness and increased in color absorption. Other methods of skin dewooling should be considered.