Wool is one of 32 materials in this atlas, grouped under textiles: history, structure, measured properties, process routes, uses, safety and market — not a product catalogue.
Scores compare Wool with the rest of the atlas on strength, heat, fire behaviour, insulation, workability and circularity. They are editorial, not certificates.
Seven chapters follow. Fire and insulation claims name test families (Euroclass, ASTM E84, ISO 5660, KS F) rather than inventing a single safety number.
Deep introduction
Deep dive: Wool
Wool (keratin protein) is a family of grades whose density ~1.31 g/cm³, heat band chars; does not melt-drip like PE, and fire letter better than commodity synthetics in many apparel tests.
What “the material” actually is
Wool is sold as grades, not as a single substance. Chemistry keratin protein, density ~1.31 g/cm³, heat band chars; does not melt-drip like PE.
This atlas treats Wool as a system: mill route, coatings, tests and the cavity it sits in.
Heat, fire and insulation
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.
How it is made and used
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.
Market and circularity
Producers below are landmarks, not an endorsement ranking. Prices are bands, not live quotes.
Circularity mark 58/100. Ask which scrap, which certificate, which year.
Related atlas
Around Wool
Related atlas entries, a short glossary, and three threads that keep Wool honest.
See also
🌱CottonCellulose comfort without keratin’s odour story.
🎽PolyesterThe fleece that copied wool’s loft with plastic.
🦋SilkThe other protein filament, smoother and weaker in sun.
🪨Mineral woolThe namesake inorganic insulator — not a textile cousin.
Key terms
Euroclass
EN 13501-1 reaction-to-fire letter (A1–F), not a wall rating.
λ (lambda)
Thermal conductivity in W/m·K. Lower means better bulk insulation.
Aged value
Declared performance after blowing-agent or moisture drift.
HAZ / process window
The zone where heat or chemistry changes the datasheet.
Grade
A named chemistry/process variant, not a brand slogan.
Circularity mark 58/100 — editorial, route-specific.
Typical melting or failure heat?
chars; does not melt-drip like PE
What should it be paired with?
cotton: Cellulose comfort without keratin’s odour story.
Where is it specified?
Buildings, transport, energy and consumer goods — see the uses chapter.
Is the fire-performance score a building-code rating?
No. It is an editorial 0–100 teaching mark among materials in this atlas. A real wall or garment needs a named product test, thickness and assembly. This page is not a lab stamp.
When should I read insulation instead of fire?
Use the insulation pick when the question is heat flow — lining, loft, or a cold-bridge — and the fire pick when the question is how the same material behaves in flame. Both numbers already sit on this hub; they answer different jobs.
Does a high sustainability score mean I can skip fire protection?
No. Sustainability here is a relative atlas mark (growth, reuse, embodied story). Bamboo and timber can still char like wood. Fire protection stays a separate specification.
Why is bamboo missing in some languages?
A language URL is published only when the seven chapters are real prose in that language. Bamboo exists in English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Spanish. French, German, Portuguese and Russian stay withheld — earlier machine drafts leaked English, so those URLs are not opened.
Icons
Merino ram
Spain / Australia · 18th c.–
Merino ram is a reference point in the public image of Wool.
Woolmark
International · 1964
Woolmark is a reference point in the public image of Wool.
Harris Tweed
Scotland · 19th c.–
Harris Tweed is a reference point in the public image of Wool.
Savile Row worsted
United Kingdom · 19th c.–
Savile Row worsted is a reference point in the public image of Wool.
Persian carpet wool
Iran · historic
Persian carpet wool is a reference point in the public image of Wool.
6
Icebreaker merino
New Zealand · 1990s–
Icebreaker merino is a reference point in the public image of Wool.
Felt
Eurasia · prehistoric
Felt is a reference point in the public image of Wool.
Aran knit lore
Ireland · 20th c. brand
Aran knit lore is a reference point in the public image of Wool.
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