Caracterización física de lana de los ovinos producidos en el cantón Colta

Abstract

This study aimed at characterizing the physical properties of sheep wool (ovis aries) produced in the Colta canton. The analyses were conducted in the Agroindustrial Fiber Laboratory of Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo (ESPOCH). The experimental results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency distribution, measures of central tendency, and dispersion. A T-Student test was applied to establish statistical differences in the physical characteristics of the yarn. For this purpose, 10 fleeces with an average weight of 2.5 kg were used as experimental units, which were categorized as superfine, fine, semi fine, and coarse. The physical properties of the fiber, such as length (cm), the number of crimps (N°/cm), and the mechanical properties of the yarn, such as tensile strength (N/cm2) and elongation (%), were analyzed. The results revealed that the average length of the staple was 6.25 cm, and the average number of crimps was 45.80 N°/cm. When classifying the yarn according to its thickness, it was found that the category 1 yarn did not show significant differences in terms of tensile strength (2162.56 ± 1449.19 N/cm2). However, significant differences were observed in the elongation percentage, with a higher average of 33.43 ± 8.23%, whereas the tensile strength of the category 2 wool yarn recorded a value of 1863.78 ± 608.67 N/cm2 and a value of 26.43 ± 8.25% for elongation. Regarding the production costs of sheep's wool yarn, $20.60 per kilogram of yarn was determined. Profitability of up to 21% was established when marketing category 1 wool because higher price is obtained due to its superior quality. Based on these results, it is recommended to classify the fleeces to produce category 1 sheep's wool yarn because it exhibits better characteristics and a greater profitability can be obtained.