Felting and Consolidation Shrinkage in Wool
topic
Felting shrinkage testing subjects wool fabric to agitated aqueous wash cycles under conditions that promote directional fibre migration through scale-mediated ratchet friction, measuring area shrinkage and fabric consolidation; the Washrite and IWS TM 31 methods provide controlled agitation protocols that replicate domestic washing machine worst-case conditions.
Role
Quantifies the irreversible area shrinkage of untreated wool caused by fibre scale interlocking during wet agitation, providing the comparative data used to assess the effectiveness of chlorine-Hercosett, plasma, and polymer-based machine-washable wool treatments.