Effect of a Subjective Grading System and Blending with Polyester on Selected Wool and Yarn Characteristics of Subtropical Egyptian Barki Sheep

Abstract

Seven-hundred kilograms of subtropical Barki wool was collected to study the effect of a subjective grading system and blending with polyester on selected wool and yarn characteristics. Wool was graded subjectively into coarse, fine and raw; then each grade was blended with 0%, 15%, 25%, 35% and 45% of polyester. Staple and yarn strengths were higher in both coarse and fine grades compared with raw wool. Staple elongation of the fine grade reached 3 times that of coarse grade and twice as much as raw grade. Also, in the 100% wool blend, yarn elongation of the fine grade was twice as much as both coarse and raw grades. The fine grade had the highest yarn friction, followed by other grades. Generally, adding polyester to coarse and fine grades led to an improved yarn strength compared with the raw grade. Adding 15% polyester caused the highest improvement among other percentages. Correlations among traits were also discussed.