THE SIROSKIN PROCESS

Australian woolskins, which are characterised by a relatively fine woo l fibre and a high follicle density, have a pile which is prone to mat ting and entanglement during processing. The traditional way of reduci ng this problem, commonly known as felting, is to process woolskins in long floats with gentle agitation in paddles. A new method for proces sing woolskins which reduces the degree of felting has been invented a nd patented by the CSIRO Leather Research Centre. The technology which is registered as the Siroskin Process is based on the use of a holdin g agent to restrict the movement of wool fibres during processing and thereby reduce fibre entanglement and matting. In addition to reducing felting and enabling woolskins with finer fibres to be processed usin g conditions of increased agitation, the Siroskin Process also reduces the chrome staining of the wool pile. The Process has elements which challenge traditionally held views relating to woolskin processing in particular those relevant to scouring and dyeing. The paper describes the principles of the Process and its commercial advantages.