Abstract
THE quality of a wool is not determined solely by the dimensional characteristics of the fibres, such as fineness, length and crimp. Differences in the nature of the substance govern the selection of wools for particular purposes, and it has been shown that these differences can be measured by determining the plasticity of the fibres1. The measurements are made by observing the rate of creep of the fibres in distilled water at 22.2° C., usually under a constant load of 6 kgm./mm.2. When log (E − Et) is graphed against t, where Et is the percentage extension at time t (min.), and E is an arbitrarily chosen limiting extension, a linear relationship is obtained in the later stages of extension; the slope (k) of this line gives a simple measure of plasticity.
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References
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Dusenbury, J. H., Proc. Second Intern. Wool Textile Res. Conf., Harrogate, 223 (1960).
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DE WET, P., SPEAKMAN, J. & WHITELEY, K. Plasticity of Wool. Nature 188, 69 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1038/188069b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/188069b0
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