THREAT OF WOOL SUBSTITUTES

Southland Times, Issue 23945, 11 October 1939, Page 11

THREAT OF WOOL SUBSTITUTES

SCIENCE COMES TO RESCUE “CHEMISTS MUST FIGHT BACK” “In my opinion, wool still has a great lead over. its competitors, though the pace at which the latter are advancing is quickening. To keep wool ahead we must increase our knowledge of it, and apply all useful knowledge as quickly as possible.” These statements were made by Mr Martin R. Freney, B.Sc., research officer of the McMaster. Annual Health Laboratory, at a meeting of the Victorian branch of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science, at Melbourne University recently. . “We must all admit,” he said, that the wool substitutes have . progressed greatly, and have invaded fields which custom had reserved for wool. In spite of their advance, we would be foolish to over-emphasize their threat, but we would be more foolish to underestimate it. “I can foresee that, within 10 years, substitutes will be produced, not as cheaply as wool, but with virtues similar to those of the natural product. It is becoming increasingly apparent that wool cannot hold its place in competition with artificial fibres by relying on its traditional virtues. Its citadel has been attacked with some success by the chemist, but there is plenty of scope, and even adequate time, for other chemists to fight back, though, every day is valuable. . “In answer to the question Can wool hold its place in the textile world? I would reply: ‘Yes, but to do so it must enlist the full resources of all branches of science’.” In the course of his address, Mr Freney pointed out that the warmth of woollen fabrics is due indirectly to the crimp in the fibre, which enables them to retain air, a very good insulator. Another remarkable characteristic of these fabrics is that they can absorb 30 per cent, of their dry weight of moisture without becoming damp, a fact of great importance in regard to perspiration. CAUSES OF SHRINKAGE Explaining the causes of shrinkage, Mr Freney said that, in finishing, woollen goods may be pressed out to a nice shape or to a larger size than they naturally assume. In water or steam, indeed, fibre may be stretched to about twice its length without breaking, and if it is dried in this stretched state under tension, it will remain so when the tension is removed, but, when wetted, it returns to its original length. “This is what frequently happens with socks, which, when washed, become smaller.” Another kind of shrinkage, Mr Freney said, was caused through felting, which results from washing and wearing, the garment losing its elasticity, its pattern being obscured hy a fluffy surface, and its texture thickened.

Discussing wool substitutes, Mr Freney stressed the fact that, although their production had been stimulated as a result of economic nationalism—Germany alone had 160 varieties of arificial fibres—the non-totalitarian countries had also contributed greatly to their technical development and exploitation. There were three main types, those derived from wood, those from casein, soya bean protein, and fish albumen, and the pure synthetic fibres from resins. The most important of these, he said, was one known as Nylon, made from coal, air, and water. “Its sponsors, who are some of the strongest financial interests in America and England, propose to produce this material as a substitute for silk, to which it is superior in many respects, and it is not being produced yet as a wool substitute. It must be remembered, however, than any threat to silk may become a threat to wool.” Nylon, Mr Freney said, resembled wool most closely in chemical structure, and in this field there was no forecasting developments.