Physical and Mechanical Properties of Chiengora Fibers
Transcription
Physical and Mechanical Properties of Chiengora Fibers
Peer reviewed Physical and Mechanical Properties of Chiengora Fibers By S. Greer, AATCC; and P. Banks-Lee and M. Jones, North Carolina State University ABSTRACT Natural protein fibers, such as wool, mohair, and siik, currentiy used in textiie production can be very costiy, Altliough non-traditionai, a protein fiber, such as chiengora (dog hair), can prove to be a cheaper, environmentaiiy friendiy, and suitabie substitute. However, very iittie information on the properties of these fibers can be found in the iiterature. Here, the physicai and mechanical properties of hair combed from 18 dog breeds were measured and compared to those of traditionai animai hair fibers. Unwashed dog hair was coiiected, bagged and iabeied by professionai pet groomers. Resuits show that iength, iinear density, tenacity, strain, and elastic moduius of chiengora fibers are all simiiar to those of traditionai protein fibers. Results also show that hairs from some breeds may be suitabie for short- or long-staple processing. Key Terms: Chiengora, Natural Fibers, Non-traditional Fibers, Fiber Properties ' Physical Properties for Tradiriona] Animal Fibers' Fiber Tenacity (g/denier) Linear Density (denier) Strain Modulus (denier) Length {%) 10.IR (cm) Wool 1.59 12 0 42 9 ?4 1 Mohair 1.44 10.9 30.0 39.4 11,5 Cashmere 1 55 2.84 35 6 36 3 39 Camel hair 1.79 9.55 39.4 33.3 12,5 Producers of textile goods are always in search of new and innovative fibets for use in consumer products. Fibers that will meet consumer needs, while heing environ men tally-ftiendly, are in demand. Commercial products containing wool, mohair, cashmere, and camelhair fibers have been produced I'or himdreds of years. The properties ot these fibers that promote their successful conversion to yarns are given in Table I. Another fiber that meets both criteria is "chiengora," or dog hair. Ihe name comes from "chien"—the French word for dog, and "gora"-—from the word Angora; which has origins in Greece, Turkey, and France; the traditional fiber that dog hair most closely resembles.- Chiengora has been used in textile products for centuries by individual artisans, but never commercialized. Dog hair was the one fiber spun in North America before sheep were introduced.-' Traces of dog hair have been found in yarns of pre-historic Scandinavia and among the North American Navajo Indians.' In fact, garments made ot dog hair have been worn proudly by the rich and famous tor generations." Chiengora is considered by some to be a luxury fiber similar to mohair, cashmere (goat hair), and angora (rabbit hair).-' Items made of chiengora yarn are soft and fluffy like angora. 42 AATCC Re\ warm, shed water well, and have good color and luster.^ Chiengora yarn has a "halo" of fuzz, much like mohair or angora, and though it is not as elastic, it is warmer than wool." Although yarns are being produced from dog hair, little has been reported on the properties of these fibers and their suitability for commercial yarn production. The quality of the yarn produced varies with the type of hair used. The objectives ofthe current research were to determine the properties of dog TABLE II. hair atid to pinpoint which chienDog Breeds Sampled gora fibers could be considered for commercial production of yarns Mo. of Breed Dogs and fabrics. If chiengora {100% American Eskimo Dog 3 or blended) can be commercially Austraiian Sfiepherd 2 converted to yarn and suitable Bichon Fuse 2 applications found for the yarns, Cocha-Poo 2 the authors suggest that fibers be German Shepherd 2 acquired by a system centered on Golden Retriever 4 collecting fibers from pet grooming Labrador Retriever facilities. L. Lhasa Apso 2 Maltese 2 Pekingese 2 Pomeranian 2 Poodle (Poodie mix & Sad Poodle) 3 Schnauzer 4 Sheepdog [type not specified! 3 Shih T^if 4 Springer Spaniel 2 Westie 2 Yorkie 2 Experimental Dog hair was solicited from several pet-grooming salons. Groomers were asked to label each sample stating the specific breed ofthe source, and whether the sample was "clean" or "dirty." Samples of dog hair (45 total) were collected from a total of 18 dog breeds. The breeds sampled are listed in Table II. To ensure consistent treatment of all MAY 2007 Peer reviewed TABLE I I I . Physical Properties of Hair From All Dog Breeds Dog Breed Fiber Diameter" Linear Density (microns) (denier) Length (cm) Mean %CV Clean Dirty Clean Dirty Ail Bteecjs 33.71 60.92 29.7 28.2 5-8 5.6 American Eskimo Dog 28.13 50.79 26.9 31.2 5.3 4.5 Biciion Frise 29.56 37.34 29.0 27,5 5.2 5.5 Cocka-Poi) 24.88 29.14 28.7 24 2 53 5.1 German Stiepherd 28.08 21.80 30.3 29.3 7.3 7.4 Lhasa ApsD 44 79 31.83 38.4 32.2 7.1 6.3 Maltese 26.81 44.40 25.9 23.9 7,3 7.4 Pnnrtie 18.45 28.15 25.7 23.1 4.9 4.4 Sheepdog 23.58 20.24 32.6 27.6 5.4 4.9 Shitzu 43 07 64.65 24.7 24.7 5.3 3.9 Springer Spaniel 32.68 31.09 32.7 27.7 7.9 8.3 Yorkie 35.02 25.92 31.3 27.3 9.4 8.9 Golden Retriever 62.52 44.47 32.3 30.4 6.5 7.0 Scnnauzer 15 98 24.46 28 9 27 1 3.9 4 1 Pomeranian 30.93 27.35 24.6 24.3 6.7 6.7 Labrador Re I never 39.94 31.14 33.8 31.6 4.1 40 Pekingese 24.47 62.56 27.6 26.5 4.4 4.6 Westie 31.26 40.47 23.1 26.6 3.9 3.6 Australian Shepfierd ^.63 56,70 42.3 46.1 6.3 6.3 •'Fibe( ilianieter reported for clean clog haii cniy hair samples, only those samples that were iabeied as dirty were used in this research. Bags labeled as dirty were split into two equal portions. One portion was tested in its dirty state. I h e other portion was scoured before testing. The scoured portion was considered the clean sample for testing. To prepare for scouring, each sample was put into a pantyhose sleeve secured at both ends with a knot and labeled to prevent sample mixing. The scouring was performed in a Gaston County laboratory package dyeing machine. The scouring bath contained Keirlon NB-MFB as the cleaning agent and sodium carbonate (soda ash) dissolved in water to reduce the amount of foam. I h e temperature in the bath ranged trom 160F to 212F depending on the stage ofthe scouring bath. The sleeve containing the fibers was transferred from the scouring bath to a dryer (Blue M Lab Oven) operating at 60C (140F) for 24 hr, or until all moisture was removed from the fibers. Samples were allowed to recondition for 1 hr under standard conditions of 2 l C (70F) and 6 5 % relative humidity. Length measurements (25 total) were taken from each sample of clean and dirty hair according to ASTM 0 3 1 0 3 01 .^ This data was used to determine an average fiber length for each dog breed, and to evaluate the change in length after scotiring. The linear densities (denier) of ten random fibers from each clean and dirty sample were determined using a Vibromat and ASTM D1 577-01 .^' The fibers were then mounted on cards in preparation tor tensile testing. Tensile tests were performed on the same fibers used to measure linear density. Fiber tensile tests were run according to ASTM 03822-01,°' using a Sintech tester with a gauge length MAY 2 0 0 7 of 1.27 cm (0.5 in), and a 2.27 kg (5 Ib) load cell. Tensile test data included tenacity, modulus, and strain (%). Fiber diameter was measured in microns using a Motic Microscope (B3 Professional Fig. 1. Microscopic view of Sheepdog hair (40x). Series) with 40x objective and equipped with a Motic Images Plus 2.0 software system. Five readings were taken trom each of five randomly-selected fibers. Fig. 1 is a microscopic view of Sheepdog hair at 40x magnification. Statistical Analysis Software (SAS)'' was used to anal)'ze the data. The t-test procedure was used to determine if there was a significant difference in tenacitj; iinear density, strain, modulus, and lengtii of clean and dirty fibers in general. I h e t-test was aiso used to determine if there was a significant change in the fiber properties after cieaning, based on dog breed. The means procedure was run to obtain the average and standard deviation of individual properties for ail dogs, and for each breed. Results and Discussion The average vaiues for the physical properties ofthe fibers are reported in Table III. Tensile data are reported in Table IV. The effect of laundering on the physical properties ofthe fibers was also assessed. TABLE rV. Tensile Properties of Hair From All Dog Breeds Dog Breed Tenacity (g/denier) Strain (%) Modulus (g/denisr) Clean Dirty Clean Dirty Clean Dirty All Breeds 1.9 2.1 64,1 72.5 15.3 15.7 American Eskimo Dog 1.7 2.2 fiOS 80.1 14,5 14,8 Bichon Frise 1.5 1.9 57,8 68.4 13.7 13.4 Cocka-Poo 1 7 2 1 66.n 67 9 138 16 1 German Shepherd 2.0 2,3 66,2 76.2 15.1 15.7 Lhasa Apso 1 8 2.1 63.0 74.2 15.0 154 Maltese 1.9 1.9 70.7 66.6 13.5 14.1 Poodle 2.0 1 9 71 6 73.5 14,0 13,5 Sheepdoe 1.8 2.1 65.0 68.2 14.3 15.4 StiiL'u 1.8 1 9 58 2 Springer Spaniel 2.1 2,7 72.5 Yorkie 1.5 2.1 53.6 Golden Retriever 22 2.2 n.i Sctinauzer 1.8 2.3 563 Pom^anian 1.7 2.1 Labrador Retriever 17 2.3 Peklngrae 2.2 Wesiie Australian Shepherd 16.2 14,8 16.0 14.3 74 2 14.7 14,5 72.2 14.7 15.8 59.9 16.5 21.5 62.6 68.3 14.4 17.2 57 7 701 151 174 2.2 68.7 69.1 16,4 16.5 2.D 2.2 fi4fi 76 4 152 139 2.3 2.5 60,0 96.6 22.7 13.9 96.4 AATCC Review 4 3 Peer reviewed Significance Between Clean and Dirty Chiengora (All Breeds Tested) VaHable Tenacity Linear Density Condition Length T-Value Pr>ltl Clean 1,886 0,586 - - 2.147 0.639 — — 0,613 -6 390 <0.0001 Ditference -0,261 Clean 29.66 12,14 — 28.19 11,71 _ — 1.47 11,93 1,84 0,07 Clean 64,149 18 083 - - Dirty 72,500 18,007 - - Difference -8.352 18.045 Clean 15,315 5.093 Difty 15661 6.352 — — Difference Difference Modulus Standard Deviation Dirty Dirty Strain Mean -6,940 - <0.0001 — -0.345 5.757 -0,900 0.369 Clean 5,76 1.40 — — Dirty 5.55 1.55 — — Difference 0.22 1.48 2 31 0.03 Effect of Cleaning Hair As seen in Table V, statistical results showed a significant difference between clean and dirty chiengora for tenacity, sttain, and length witb greater tban 95% confidence, (Pr > |t| less tban 0.05) and clean and dirty density witb greater than 90% confidence (Pt > |tj less tban 0.10). There was no significant difference between the modulus of clean and dirty hair. There was a 3.9% average increase in the length of dog hair due to the cleaning procedures. This implied that washing and drying removed some ot all ofthe natural crimp in the fibers. Tbere was also a 12.0% reduction in strengtb due to cleaning. Tbis was not surprising since wool fibers are also weaker wben wet. Two different explanations for tbis pbenoinenon have been presented. One scenario is tbat moisture reduces the binding force between the salt linkages after introducing a dielectric film between tbe positive and negative cbarges."" A second explanation for the decrease in the wet strength of wool is tbe greater swelling of the fiber at a bigb pH.' According to Trotman, "the cystine link also has a profound effect on the mechanical properties of tbe fiber. Tbe disulfide bond is covalent and not very sensitive to pH, but tbere are a number of reagents, wbich can break it down. Water can bring about bydrolysis, especially wben in the form of steam with the formation of sulfenic acid groups, therefore, the action of alkalis on tbe disulfide bond is complex and accompanied by the formation of inorganic sulfides. The bond is severed, hut new crosslinks are formed."^ Tbere was a 5.2% increase in linear density after wasbing, implying tbat the fibers were made coarser. Possible explanations for tbis are swelling in tbe medulla, or core, during the scouring batb due to tbe presence of soda ash; or moisture retention after washing. Cotton and wool react in this manner to soda ash scouring. However, moisture retention would be expected to increase strain, not create an 11.5% decrease. 44 AATCC Review Moisture acts as a lubricant and would cause the fiber to be more flexible. Tbe slight decrease in modulus was not enough to indicate tbat the clean fibers were more fiexible than the dirty fibers. Table VI shows that fibers from all dog breeds were not equally affected hy cleaning. The difference in length of clean and dirty fibers was significant for all dog breeds. However, for eight ofthe 18 breeds, or 44.4%, length was the only property significantly affected. Fibers from some dog breeds were mildly affected, having only one property other than length significantly affected with 95% or better certainty. This was the case for four ofthe 18 breeds, or 22.0%, of tbe dog breeds. Oniy six of tbe 18 breds, or 33.0%, appeared to be bighly-affected, having more than two ofthe properties affected by cleaning. The Yorkshire Tetrier (Yorkie), Pomeranian, American Eskimo Dog, and Australian Shepherd breeds had three properties which were affected. The Springer Spaniel and Labrador Retriever breeds bad four ofthe five properties affected by cleaning. The significant change in some critical properties due to the cleaning procedures suggests that special care should be taken in cieaning cbiengora, and products made from chiengora. Since properties like strength and length affect tbe processibility of fibers, consideration sbouid be given to wbetber laundering sbould occur before or after processing into a yarn or fabric. The increased length after cleaning may make better yarns; however, if tbe increase was due to a decrease in crimp, tbe ciean fiher would have less cohesion and be barder to process. Weaker fibers are also barder to process. Tbe environment in whicb empioyees would be asked to v/ork must also TABLE V I . Significance Between Clean and Dirty Chiengora (Breed Specific) Dog Breed Pr>ltl Tenacity (O/denier] Linear Density (denier) Strain Modulus Length (%) (g/denier) (cm) American Eskimo Dog ^ <0 000! n '2 0,0004 0 777 <0,0001 Bichon Frise * 0,078 0,65 0.094 0.805 <0.0001 Cocha-Poo" 0 0/4 0 12 0,748 0,178 <0,0001 German Shepherd^ 0,126 0,76 0,109 0.597 <0.0001 Ltiasa Apso"' 0148 0.11 0,046 0.833 <0,0001 Maltese' 0,959 0,54 0,352 0,672 <0,0001 Poodle" 0 42 0.29 0 685 0 479 <:0,0001 Sfisepdog" 0,15 0.22 0,46 0,406 <0,0001 Sliih Tzu' 0 408 0 97 0,029 0 158 <0.0001 Springer Spaniel^ 0,002 0,01 0,001 0.215 <0.0001 Yorkie •' 0 001 0.35 0.001 0,93 <0,0001 Golden Retriever" 0.571 0.5 0.14 0.103 <0,0001 Sciinauzer '^' 0,013 0.59 0,257 0,064 <0,0001 Pomeranian" 0,005 0,91 0.264 0,034 — Labradot Retriever 0.0001 0.6 0.029 0 06 <0,0001 Pekingese" 0,823 0,57 0,904 0.942 <0,0001 Weslie' 0 068 0.16 0.004 0124 <0,0001 Auslraiian Shepherd'' 0,201 0.22 <0.0001 0-001 — •"More than Iwo properties significantly affected by laundering. "Oniy length significanliy affected by laundenng, •^Length and one other property significantly affected by iaundering. MAY 2007 Peer reviewed be considered. Tbe quaiity of tbe cbiengora, tbe affect on air quaiity. and overall employee working conditions must be considered in deciding wbetber to process tbe bair in its clean or dirty state. Thougb there was a significant difference between clean and dirty fibers, comparisons with traditionai hair fiiiers were based on ciean cbiengora oniy. ofthe traditional animal fibers, but the breed had the lowest linear density, 23.10 denier, much courser than wooi. Finer fibers are more easiiy converted into yarn because they require iess twist. The coarseness of dog fibers couid be a cbaiienge to commerciaiiy converting tbem into yarns. Lengtii Strength The overall tenacity for chiengora was 1.886 g/denier (Table IV). This was 5.0% greater than that ofthe strongest traditional animai bair fiber, camelhair (Table 1). The dog breeds having hair witb the highest tenacity were Austraiian Shepherd, Pei^ingese, Golden Retriever, Springer Spaniel, and Poodle. The tenacities ranged from 2.342 g/denier (Australian Shepherd) to 2.016 g/denier (Poodle). Ofthe i8 breeds tested, 10 (56.0%) bad fiber tenacities that exceeded tbat of camelhair. Ihe average fiber tenacity for the top 10 dog breeds was 2.04 g/denier, 14.0% stronger than camelhair. Sixteen of tbe 18 breeds tested (or 89.0%) had bair that was stronger tban casbmere (1.55 g/denier) or wool (1.59 g/denier). Ail dog breeds bad hair stronger than mohair (1.44 g/denier). Of the breeds tested. Tbe Yorkie breed bad bair witb the iowest tenacity (1.5 g/denier). Diameter and Density Table ill lists the fiber diameter (microns) and linear density (denier) of fibers from ail dog breeds included in tbis study. It is important to note that as witb otber animal hair fibers, the variation in fiber size is bigb botb within breeds and between breeds. It is aiso known tbat animal hair varies with its fleece location. Only the Schnauzer breed was determined to have hair similar to super-fine Merino wooi. Tbe Maitese, Poodie and Sheepdog breeds were determined to bave bair similar to fine Merino wool. Tiie hair of tbe Laiirador Retriever and WestHigkand White Terrier (Westie) breeds are similar to coarse wools. The Lhasa Apso, Sbih Tzu, Golden Retriever, and Australian Sbepherd breeds had bair similar in diameter range to carpet or mixed wools. The remaining eigbt dogs had bair similar to medium grade wool witb American Esicimo Dog, Gocka-Poo, German Shepherd and i'ekingese breeds baving hair that would be considered to be medium-fine. in general, a larger fiber size indicates higher tenacity. This is true for mohair and camelbair, as well as about 50.0% of tbe dog breeds tested. 'Ilie average linear density for chiengora as reported in Table iii was 29.66 denier, whicb was 59.5% greater tban that of wool, 'lliis meant that dog hairs were much coarser than traditional animal bair fibers. Of tbe 18 breeds tested, ali bad hair with linear densities tbat exceeded that ot wool. Tlic five breeds having tbe lowest linear density were the Maitese, Poodle, Shih Tzu, Pomeranian, and Westie. The average iinear density for these five breeds was 24.81 denier. Ibese fibers were 52.0% coarser tban wool, tbe coarsest traditional animal hair fiber. However, tbcse breeds also had strengths that were equal to, or better tban, traditional bair fibers used in textile products. IVie Westie had a tenacity of 1.97 g/denier, higher than that of any MAY 2007 Fiber Icngtb is a very important factor when choosing the processing and production method tor yarns. Fibers tbat are too short, less tban 2.54 cm, are very difficult to convert into yarns; bowever, fibers tbat are too iong also present conversion cballenges. Short fibers are used mainly for short staple fiber production and nonwoven production. Table Hi iists the fiber lengtbs of all dog breeds tested. The average fiber iengtb tor chiengora was 5.76 cm, 56.0% lower than that of camelhair, the longest traditional fiber at 12.5 cm. Tbe breeds with tbe longest fiber lengths were Yorkie, Springer Spaniel, Maitese, German Sbepherd, and Lbasa Apso. These fiber lengths ranged from 9.4 cm (Yorlcie) to 7.1 cm (Lhasa Apso). Ali dog breeds had hair ionger than casbmere (3.9 cm). Despite cashmere's relatively sbort fiber length of 3.9 cm, it is commerciaiiy processed with no major problems. Today's variety of processing methods means that fiber length is less of an issue tban it was severai years ago. Tbe fibers from some dog breeds wouid fit well witb sbort staple fiber production methods wbere tbe typical processing length ranges from 2.5 to 5.1 cm. The Poodle, Schnauzer, Labrador Retriever, Pekingese, and Westie breeds had an average length of 4.0 cm, whicb wouid process weii as sbort staple fibers. Yorkie, tbe breed with tbe iongest fibers (9.4 cm) should be processabie as easily as any ofthe traditional animal fibers. Sbort fibers may also be used in nonwoven fabric production, where suitable fibers range from less tban 1 mm to as much as 15.2 cm. Ali dog fibers wouid process weii into a nonwoven product. In textiie processing, it is generaliy desirable to have fibers with a bigb aspect ratio (i.e., iiigh length to width ratio). Fibers with a high aspect ratio tend to be more flexible and thus bend more easily. Dog fibers, on tbe average, were shorter and mucb coarser tban wooi. This lower aspect ratio may present a probiem during conversion to yarn, but these fibers are currently being handspun into yarns and made into fabrics. Strain The average strain for cbiengora was 64.149% (Table IV). This was 20.3% greater than that of wool, tbe traditional fiber having the highest percent strain (42.9%). The bair from ali of tbe 18 breeds tested bad strain vaiues tbat exceeded tbat of wool. Therefore, dog hair fibers eiongate mucb more tban traditional animal fibers before breaking. The breeds witb bair having tbe bigbest percent strain were Goiden Retriever, Springer Spaniel, Poodie, Maitese, and Pekingese, ranging from 77.186% (Goiden Retriever) to 68.708% (Pekingese). These high extension vaiues as well as high tenacity values show tbat dog fibers can absorb a large amount of energy. AATCC Review 4 5 Peer reviewed which is important wheti considering abrasion resistance, crease recovery, and resilience.' Strain values also become important during the processing of fibers inco yarns, 'lhe conversion puts stress on each fiber; but those that AK more extensible will process with less difficulty. fiber. However, based on diameter, there is evidence that dog hairs can be classed using the fine, medium, coarse, and carpet categories used to classify wool fibers. The high linear density of chiengora fibers, whicb leads to a low aspect ratio, could pose a problem during the processing stages. To overcome this, the dog fibers could be processed as short staple yarns. Modulus The average modulus for the dog fibers, 15.3 g/denier, was considerably lower than the modulus of the traditional animal fibers. The importance of this factor is situational because some circumstances demand a high modulus, whereas, in other circumstances, a low modulus is acceptable. Finally, the average percent strain of the dog fibers was 61.1%, which was 20.3% greater than that of wool. This factor is important in establishing that dog fibers are more extensible than the traditionally-used animal fibers. Modulus describes tbe force needed to deform a fiber. Values for chiengora fibers are listed in Table IV. Compared to traditional animal fibers, chiengora fibers have much lower moduli, meaning that they deform at a quicker rate than do wool, mohair, cashmere, and camelhair fibers. The average chiengora modulus was 15.315 g/denier. The modulus of wool, the lowest among the traditional fibers, was 36.5% greater than that of the average dog hair. The breeds with the highest moduli were Australian Shepherd, Schnauzer, Pekingese, Shih Tzu, and Springer Spaniel. These ranged from 22.716 g/denier (Australian Shepherd) to 16.009 g/denier (Springer Spaniel). Of the 18 dog breeds tested, none had moduli within 10.0% of the modulus of mohair, cashmere, or camelhair. Wool's modulus, 24.10 g/denier, was very similar to the Australian Shepherd breed's modulus of 22.716 g/denier. The Maltese breed had the lowest modulus value, 13.462 g/denier, of the dog breeds tested. Ihis data showed that dog fibers are not as stiff as the traditional animal fibers, therefore, they have a lower resistance to deformation. The desired fiber modtilus is dependent upon the intended end-use for the fiber or yarn. In some instances, a fiber with a low modulus is acceptable; cotton fibers, with an average modulus cii about 4.0 g/denier, are commonly used in apparel applications.^ Conversely, for a protective garment, such as a bulletproof vest, a fiber with a high modulus is unquestionably preferred. With an average modulus of 15.0 g/denier, the dog fiber should perform as well as cotton during processing and prove to be adequate for certain applications. Conclusions The main objective of this research was to determine the feasibility of using dog hair in conventional textile products. The properties of tenacity, linear density, modulus, and percent strain of dog hair were studied. Results showed that dog hair, with a tenacity of 1.89 g/denier, was at least 5% stronger than traditionally-used animal fibers. Ihus, the strength ot chiengora fibers shouid present no problem in the commercial conversion of fibers to yarns. The length of chiengora ranged from 3.9 cm to 9.4 cm. Tiiis indicated that all chiengora fibers had lengths suitable for either shon or long staple production methods. However, the mean length of 5-8 cm was 45.4% shorter than that of the traditional animal fibers. The average fiber diameter of chiengora fibers was 33.71 microns and the average linear density was 29.7 denier. It was determined that the linear density oi the dog hairs tested was 59.5% higher than wool, the coarsest traditional animal 46 AATCC Revie\ Based on the properties discussed, it would be reasonable to consider dog fiber for commercial conversion into staple yarns. With strength, length, percent strain, and modulus, as a basis, dog fibers would perform as well as traditionally-used animal fibers, and possibly better in certain instances. The American Eskimo Dog, Poodle, Sheepdog, Shih Tzu, Schnauzer, Labrador Retriever, Pekingese, and Westie breeds should be considered as candidates for short staple processing. Hair from the Bichon Frise, Cocka-Poo, Lhasa Apso, Pomeranian, and Australian Shepherd dog breeds would be appropriate for long staple processing. Future research will attempt to produce staple yarns from blends of chiengora fibers as grouped above. Yarn properties will be studied for strength, elongation, evenness, and abrasion resistance. Yarns will then be fabricated and fabric properties assessed for strength, elongation, abrasion resistance, air permeability, and moisture absorption. References L Kaswcll, Ernest. Textile Fibers, Yarns, and Fabrics., Reirihold Publishing Corporation, New York, N.Y.. U.S.A., 1953, pp3-30. 2. Croiius, Kendall, and Anne Montgomery, Knitting With Dog Hair, Sr. Martins Griffin, New York, N.Y., U.S.A., 1994, pp]-34. 3. Merry Spinster Presents Chiengora Chic, http:llwivw.mdnpd. comlpdldefault.htm, accessed January 2002. 4. www.freeriet.edmonton.ab.ca/wcavers/dog.html, accessed January 2002. 5. Annual Book of ASTM Standards.yoh. 7.01-02, Philadelphia, Pa.,U.S.A.,2001. 6. Statistical Analysis Sofiware, SAS Institute Inc., Box 8000, Cary, N.C, 27512, U.S.A. 7. Trocman, E. R., Jlye Dyeing and Chemical Technology of Textile Fibres, 5''' edition, Charles Griffin & Co. Ltd, London, England, 1975, pp92-94. 8. Koo, Hyiin-Jin, PhD Thesis, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C. U.S.A., 1993. Author's Address Suzanne Greer Holmes, Technical Associate, AATCC, One Davis Drive, PO Box 12215, Research Triangle Park, N C 27709-2215, USA; telephone -HI 919 549 3537; fax -HI 919 569 8933; e-mail [email protected]. MAY 2007