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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 50(6)

Measurement of light penetration through a simulated Merino fleece

A. L. King A B and K. R. Millington A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Belmont, Vic. 3216, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: lee.king@csiro.au

Animal Production Science 50(6) 585-588 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN09231
Submitted: 21 December 2009  Accepted: 15 March 2010   Published: 11 June 2010

Abstract

The degree of light penetration along the length of the fibre of a simulated Merino fleece was measured using a fibre optic probe to investigate the relationship between light exposure and photodamage to the wool fibre. The percentage of the total direct sunlight that reached the base of the 100-mm long, simulated, closed Merino fleece was ~1% and the section of the fibre from the root to 60 mm from the root was protected from exposure. The light intensity at the base of the fibre was increased to 2% when the density of the simulated fleece was halved. Wool was scoured and the yellowness and intensity of methylene blue staining was measured to estimate the extent of damage to wool staples.


Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Co-operative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation and the Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia for a PhD studentship (for ALK). We are grateful to Tricia Pollard, Burrabliss, Lake Boga for supplying a fleece sample from a coated and shedded Saxon Merino sheep (Sharlea).


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