Fibre end diameter properties in processed top relative to the staple for wool grown in a Mediterranean climate and shorn in different seasons

This study examines the relationship between the fibre diameter characteris tics of mid-side staple profiles with the diameter characteristics of the f ibre ends of tops produced from single fleeces grown in a Mediterranean env ironment. The rationale being that any reduction in the diameter of the pro cessed fibre ends could lead to a potential for improved fabric skin comfor t. For fleeces grown in Western Australia, shearing at the point of minimum di ameter reduces the mean diameter of the processed fibre ends by approximate ly 2 mu m relative to similar wool shorn at the point of maximum diameter w ithout effecting the standard deviation of the fibre end diameter distribut ion. This is accompanied by a reduction in the percentage of processed coar se fibre ends. It is predicted that this will translate into an improvement in fabric skin comfort commensurate with this change in fibre end mean dia meter. The change in the mean diameter of the processed fibre ends relative to the whole top mean fibre diameter was found to be related to the mid-side fibr e diameter profiles. Approximately 40% of the difference between the diamet er of the fibre ends and the mean fibre diameter of the staple remained in the processed top e.g. for Summer/ Autumn shearing, 40% of the reduction in the diameter of the fibre ends in the staple is still present in the top.