Wool Research has been able to support a variety of industry good “post farm gate” research activities within its current funding budget of approximately $1m per annum. In general, projects have involved fundamental research designed to fill critical gaps in research, or to pursue those new technologies that will result in added value to the post harvest wool industry. The criterion of industry good, associated with market failure amongst other industry investors, has been very much to the fore.
Key projects of the current research portfolio are:
Service provider Canesis Network Ltd.
Summary: This project is a continuation of a previous funded project which aims to create positive evidence for promoting health benefits of wool in interior textiles. It proposes extending the work to include fungi and bacteria (as well as the cat and house-dust mite allergen measurement work already underway), and additionally to add a range of wool and synthetic carpets to complement the bedding products already under evaluation (countering the negative PR of hard flooring manufacturers and to a lesser extent the synthetic carpeting industry).
Service provider Canesis Network Ltd.
Summary: This project involves two stages – the first stage involves the completion of an experimental rig to enable twistless carpet yarn to be produced. The second stage seeks to evaluate the performance characteristics of yarn and carpet produced by it. The dual objectives of twistless spinning is to reduce the cost of conversion from fibre to yarn, and to create a performance advantage through maximised yarn bulk due to an absence of the compression forces present in conventional yarns caused by twist. The process will use synthetic melty fibre material in blends with wool to create sufficient yarn strength.
Service provider Mid Micron NZ Inc.
Summary: This two year project pulls together growers, processors, educators and marketers in a bid to develop a new value chain based on mid-micron wool. The critical component of the proposal is the development of a high speed (claimed 200m/min compared to 20 m/min on conventional spinning yarns) yarn formation technology by NuYarns Ltd based on a modified self-twist process utilising filament wrappers. The economics and novel structure of the yarn produced on the system will be exploited to produce commercially attractive “templates” which will allow Mid Micron Inc. to create new added value marketing chains for wool growers. A major component of the funding requested is to identify and fund a masters student with a marketing and product development background who will be integrated into the project, creating a valuable resource for the NZ wool industry moving forward.
Service provider Canesis Network Ltd.
Summary: This 3 year project, alongside an equivalent AWI funded project on photoyellowing, will provide comprehensive knowledge of the physical changes occurring in wool (at a molecular level) as the result of exposure to sunlight. The understanding of the nature and mechanism of the chemical changes that occur will enable the researchers to devise and trial solutions that minimises the process, rather than to simply compensate the effects as is currently the only compromise available for photobleaching.
Service provider Canesis Network Ltd.
Summary: This ongoing project addresses the identification and process development for environmentally acceptable alternatives to insect resist treat wool fibre. The proposal involves trialling a range of natural or non-insecticidal materials that are commonly available including surfactants; products based on moulds, bacteria and enzymes; and other chemical compounds that are known to have characteristics that demonstrate potential insect resist solutions.