On 8th December 2014, the ‘Wolltest’ wool workshop took place in Aachen at the invitation of the DWI - Leibnitz Institute for Interactive Materials. The workshop was organised for the members of the association of German worsted yarn spinners “Verein Deutsche Kammgarnspinner” in cooperation with the industrial association of finishing, fabrics, yarns and technical textiles “IVGT e.V.”.

Testing and chemical analysis methods for the quality control of raw wool were at the focus of the event. Participants were shown individual tests, such as the Kawabata evaluation test, the OFDA wool test and the Aachen felting test. Through practical exercises, participants also learnt, for example, the alkali and HBL solubility test for identifying damage in the preliminary stages of wool processing. In addition to these practical aspects, discussions were held concerning current proposals for norms and standards at the EN/ISO level, as well as specific testing methods from the International Wool Textile Organisation’s (IWTO) ‘Red Book’.

[ www.ivgt.de]