Wool in 15: English staple

This atlas treats Wool as a system: mill route, coatings, tests and the cavity it sits in. Conductivity note: low when lofted. Insulation score 72/100 is relative to 32 entries — metals lose, VIPs and aerogels win. Fire letter in editorial use: better than commodity synthetics in many apparel tests. Do not equate A1 with “safe in a blaze” or E with “illegal”. Assemblies decide.

Origin: Neolithic sheep; merino Spain; industrial Yorkshire, Near East → Spain → Australia. The process chapter follows feedstock → conversion → forming → finish → install. Uses span buildings to defence / safety. Pairings matter: cotton. Circularity mark 58/100. Ask which scrap, which certificate, which year.

Related atlas entries, a short glossary, and three threads that keep Wool honest. Cellulose comfort without keratin’s odour story. The fleece that copied wool’s loft with plastic. The other protein filament, smoother and weaker in sun. The namesake inorganic insulator — not a textile cousin.