Technical textiles based on regenerated wool: process and test of a new generation of fabrics.

Abstract - The present paper presents the main results of the Italian project “Technical Wool”, that was granted a subvention by the HI-TEX pilot Program 2007/2008 managed by Tuscany regional authority (Regione Toscana). The “Technical Wool” Project objective was to devise an innovative process able to confer to regenerated wool excellent properties in terms of dimensional stability, flammability and water repellence. The new process allows the creation of wool-based natural technical clothes. This new generation of fabrics may be considered considerably different from the conventional technical textiles, usually produced by means of artificial fibres. Moreover, while technical clothes are, generally, not fashion oriented, the secondary aim of the project was to confer to the new kind of textiles some aesthetic properties. The paper describes both the innovative process for producing some experimental fabrics and the tests performed for measuring some technical properties such as flammability, water repellence and dimensional stability. The results of the tests carried out on these, experimental, fabrics show that the devised process is suitable for producing technical clothes using regenerated wool as basis raw material. The Project involved four SMEs (Toscolaniera S.p.A. Filatura Safic S.r.l., New Mill S.p.A. a private research centre and Tessitura TAM S.r.l.) located on the Prato province, a well known Italian textiles and apparel district that is undergoing a deep economic and industrial crisis.