Abstract:

This paper reports on the structure and most significant parameters of wool from alpacas bred in Poland. The external and internal structures of the fibre were evaluated based on microscopic observations of the fibre surface and cross sections. It was determined that both the surfaces and cross sections of the alpaca fibres show differences when compared to wool fibres. The diameter, which is the most important fibre parameter, was measured using three methods (including the Laser-Scan method).Investigations were made on 15 samples taken from various alpacas from a herd of 120 animals. Depending on the investigation method used, certain differences in the fibre diameter were observed. An analysis showed that the results of measurements of alpaca wool diameter best correlate when using the scanning electron microscopy and Laser-Scan methods. Large variations in the fibre thickness of the various samples prove the non-uniformity of wool from the whole alpaca herd, indicating that alpacas are bred in an uncontrolled (random) way.