Abstract

Cashmere is a fine down fibre obtained from specific goat breeds originating in Central Asia. Its performance in spinning and fabric formation is strongly influenced by the morphology of the cuticle scales. In this work, we investigate the scale characteristics of Mongolian cashmere fibres from goats of different strains, genders and ages. After establishing and validating a scouring procedure that does not damage the fibres, the surface morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) following procedures similar to IWTO Draft Test Method 58. The predominant scale pattern, scale shape and scale height were determined and compared with values reported in the literature for cashmere from other regions. Mongolian cashmere down fibres were found to be mainly covered with cylindrical or semi cylindrical scales with smooth and well spaced margins, while the coarse guard hairs exhibited short, irregular scales with wavy edges. The mean scale height of Mongolian cashmere fibres was approximately 0.5μm, slightly higher than previously reported values, but no significant differences were observed between samples from different strains, genders or ages..