MORPHOLOGY AND THERMAL BEHAVIOUR OF TEXTILE FIBRES FROM THE HAIR OF DOMESTIC AND WILD GOAT SPECIES

Abstract

The performances and properties of the fine hairs from the coats of several domestic and wild mammals, namely the "speciality animal fibres"used for manufacturing high quality, luxury textiles, are influenced by the domestication process, heritability, hybridisation, nutrition, and life environment. In this work, the fibre morphology and cell structures of fibres from wild, domestic and crossbred goats were studied, with the aim of investigating the relationships with the thermal behaviour of the crystalline fraction of the fibres. Scanning Electron Microscopy investigation confirmed that exposure to thermal excursions and nutritional stresses lead to finer hair, associated with lower rate of growth, yielding strong orientation and elongation of the cuticle cells in the direction of the fibre axis. Transmitted Light Microscopy and Differential Scanning Calorimetry revealed specie-specific differences in the internal structure of the fibre cortex, probably related also to moisture during the process of hair keratinisation.