Textile Research Journal
Research Projects
The Eco-effectiveness of Recycled-Wool Blend Apparel
A Comparative Study on the Physical and Performance Properties of Pre-consumer Recycled and Virgin Merino Wools
This project examined whether pre-consumer recycled wool could perform similarly to virgin Merino wool in apparel applications. The study compared 50% virgin wool / 50% recycled wool blend yarns and fabrics with 100% virgin wool materials through physical testing, performance testing, and tactile sensory evaluation. The project explored not only whether recycled wool can reduce environmental impact, but also whether its durability and handle can support long-term use.
Keywords: Recycled Wool, Wool fibre, Eco-effectiveness, Recycled wool performance.
Treat & Clean
A pilot study in stain removal and mending of substandard thrift store donations
This paper discusses the Treat & Clean pilot study, part of a larger investigation into the quality and type of clothing donations received in Canadian thrift stores. The project aimed to assess the feasibility of rejuvenating so-called" substandard" clothing through cleaning and repair techniques, allowing these items to be resold. Results indicate that enhancing the quality of donations through simple cleaning and repair methods can increase the likelihood of their sale, thereby promoting sustainability in local communities.
Keywords: Second-hand textiles, sorting, stain removal, repair, sustainability.
Protective gloves for oil rig workers
Resistance to cuts, impacts, and chemical permeation
This project proposed a protective glove design for oil rig workers in Alberta to resist cuts, impacts, and chemical exposure. The background and potential risks associated with oil rig stations and glove use have been introduced, and the material selection and structural design are responses to those hazards. The test methods associated with the above dangers that suit the North American standards (ANSI) are suggested. With suppliers located near Canada, production could be more efficient.
Keywords: Oil rig worker, protective gloves, gloves design and development
Textile Knowledge
Basic wool stuff I
Cuticle, cortex, and keratin
The very basic structure of the wool fibre from outer to inner
Swimming with wool
Degradation of wool fibre in the marine environment
The degradation of wool swimsuits is inevitable in natural marine environments. The alkaline conditions in seawater and the presence of microbes that secrete proteases are the major factors in its degradation. Nonetheless, one of the features of natural fibre is its high degradability. According to some swimsuit brands, a synthetic swimsuit should last between three months and a year, depending on the conditions of use. A swimsuit's lifespan is so short compared with other apparel, and it is not a bad idea for it to decompose naturally in the marine environment through microbes and seawater, returning to the natural food web.
Keywords: wool fibre degradation, seawater, natural fibre, wool swimsuit
MATERIAL CULTURE & DESIGN STUDIES
Wool-on-Sheep to Wool-on-Human
Exploring Wool Through Perception and Affordance
This is a narrative about a Sumerian herdsman and the wool grown from his sheep, told through J.J. Gibson’s affordance theory with both direct and indirect perceptions. From the optical direct perceived affordance, that affordance becomes an action that leads to another direct perception, the tactile, which affords higher-order actions to manipulate, effect, use, and social act, in a further indirect way to perceive. Affordance is what the environment or material offers the individual; we learn about an object or action by observing its affordances. It is a connection between us and our biological receptors, and their connection with the ecological environment, the substance. From the chain of these direct and indirect perceptions with different perceptual systems, we perceive the world.
Keywords: James J. Gibson, environment, ecology, optical, ambient light, tactile, perception, action, sense