Correlation between the mechanical behavior and chemical, physical and thermal characteristics of wool: a study on Tunisian wool

Tensile mechanical properties differ from one wool fiber to another due to several factors. To better understand the reasons for these differences, this work studied the physical, chemical, thermal and mechanical characteristics of five breeds of Tunisian wool. We used a total of 200 samples, taken from Tunisian sheep of different breeds, sexes and age. Results showed that the wool with the highest degree of crystallinity, the coarsest diameter, and the lowest amount of 1/2 Cystine has the best mechanical properties and vice versa. We also found, a significant influence (P < 0.05%) of breed and sex on the mechanical behavior of wool.