Production. Global wool production is about 2 million tonnes per year, of which 60% goes into apparel. Wool comprises ca 3% of the global textile market, but its value is higher owing to dying and other modifications of the material.
Australian wool accounts for approximately one-fourth of the world's production. What for centuries was a small home-based craft has grown into a major industry. The annual global output is now estimated at 5.5 billion pounds.
While wool represents only 3% of world fiber production, it is important to the economy and way of life in many countries. Though China is the largest producer of wool, Australia dominates the world wool market.
Wool is obtained from the fleece of sheep, muskoxen, goats, rabbits, camelids, and other animals that possess long hair. The Merino wool fiber is considered the best quality, especially with regards to textile production.
Where production systems are advanced, the wool is rigorously tested to determine properties and different grades are packed separately. The micron range of the wool fibre typically defines the product application it is used for. Wool used in apparel is typically finer than wool used in interior textiles.
Processing the Wool . The end Product . Wool Facts : Processing Overview There are processes involved in wool production? 1. Shearing. 2. Washing. 3. Blending. 4. Carding. 5. Spinning. 6. Weaving. 7. Fulling & finishing. 8. Chemical Finishes . Grease wool is processed into its finished products by either the worsted or woolen system.
Because there is a market for sheep fleece and skins, they are treated as nothing more than wool-producing machines. Because there is a market for sheep fleece and skins, they are treated as nothing more than wool-producing machines.
Wool production in the United States has declined by more than 60% since the late 1980s—however, the wool industry in the US is currently undergoing a revival, bouncing back from a period of lowered demand and fierce competition against synthetic materials.
The washed and dried wool is then "teased" or "picked" which is the beginning of the process of opening up the locks of wool and turning it into a consistent web. The wool is put through a picker which opens the locks and blows the fluffy wool into a room.
Australia, Russia, New Zealand, and Kazakhstan lead in fine-wool production, and India leads in the production of the coarser wools known as carpet wools. Leading consumers include the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan. This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen, Corrections Manager.