Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
15
Fiber Production
C.J. Lupton , PhD
KEY TERMS
Cashmere down — the undercoat fi bers in raw cashmere having widths of 30 μm or less produced by the cashmere
goat.
Classing—the act of separating whole fl eeces or fl eece portions by fi neness, color, staple length, and strength.
Crimp—the bends or waves in textile fi bers.
Kemp or objectionable fi ber—a medullated animal fi ber in which the diameter of the medulla is 60% or more of that
of the fi ber.
Med fi ber—a medullated animal fi ber in which the diameter of the medulla is less than 60% of the diameter of the
fi ber.
Medullated fi ber — an animal fi ber that in its original state includes a medulla, an air-fi lled cellular core in the center
of the fi ber.
Mohair — the fi ber grown by the Angora goat,
Capra hircus aegagra
.
Mohair character—refers to the two-dimensional waves or crimp frequency in mohair staples.
Mohair style—refers to the three-dimensional twist or spiral formation (i.e., the type of ringlets) in mohair staples.
Skirting—the practice of manually removing from fl eeces the stained or inferior fi ber such as that grown on the belly
and legs or that which is heavily contaminated with vegetable matter.
OBJECTIVES
By completing this chapter, the reader will acquire knowledge on:
The origins and production capabilities of Angora and cashmere goats for fi ber and skins
How genetics, the environment, nutrition, age, and sex infl uence fi ber production and properties
The current production conditions and problems in the U.S.
The biology of fi ber growth and the physical and chemical properties of the fi bers
Which fl eece and fi ber characteristics are important to textile processors, which are objectively measured, and which
are subjectively assessed
How the fi bers are harvested and marketed
The names of the textile processing systems used to manufacture yarns composed of mohair or cashmere
The main end uses into which the goat fi bers and skins are transformed
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