Process energy / dust
Mills, fibres, isocyanates, metal fume or silica — name the actual agent.
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Strength32
Heat resistance38
Fire performance48
Insulation72
Workability70
Circularity58
LessMore
Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology
Quick answers
Is Wool non-combustible?
Declared reaction class in this atlas: better than commodity synthetics in many apparel tests. Assemblies still need resistance tests.
Does Wool insulate?
Thermal mark 72/100 versus the atlas. Conductivity note: low when lofted.
What is the density band?
~1.31 g/cm³
How is it made?
Origin story: Neolithic sheep; merino Spain; industrial Yorkshire (Near East → Spain → Australia).
Can it be recycled?
Circularity mark 58/100 — editorial, route-specific.
Typical melting or failure heat?
chars; does not melt-drip like PE
heat 38 · fire 48
Safety here is encyclopedia, not a workplace assessment. Name the agent: dust, isocyanate, fibre, fume, moisture, fire.
Fire class better than commodity synthetics in many apparel tests is reaction language unless an assembly test is cited.
Hazards
In service
Corrosion, moisture, UV or creep silently retire sections.
Fire products
Smoke, drip, fibres or toxicants depend on chemistry.
Cut / puncture
Handling injuries are more common than brochure failures.
Mis-specification
The wrong grade is the most expensive hazard.
Fire class
Reaction
better than commodity synthetics in many apparel tests
Resistance
Assemblies (EI, R, Type X) are not implied by the material letter.
Test families
EN 13501, ASTM E84, ISO 5660, KS F 2271 — they do not equal each other.
People vs structure
Clothing FR and steel R-ratings are different professions.
Environment
Carbon / energy
Primary production is energy-heavy; ask for a route, not a slogan.
Toxics / fibres
Additives, dusts and processing aids (not always the polymer backbone) drive regulation.
Water
Process water, leachate or moisture swelling.
End of life
Sortability beats theoretical recyclability.
Handling
Store dry and labelled
Grade mix-ups scrap lots.
PPE for the actual agent
Fibres, isocyanates, UV, sharp edges — not a generic “chemicals” pictogram.
Do not improvise fire class
Coatings and cavities change the letter.
Follow the WPS / DFT / compression
Installation is in the specification.
Codes move. Recheck KS, JIS, EN, NFPA and IBC editions for the job’s jurisdiction.
Keep exploring
More in Textiles
🌱
Cotton
Seed-hair cellulose that dressed the industrial revolution — still the comfort fibre of daily wear.
Overall 44 🦋Silk
A kilometre-class animal filament — luxury cloth, sutures and a template for bio-inspired fibres.
Overall 41 🎽Polyester
The dominant apparel polymer — bottle-grade PET spun into staple that dries fast and sheds microfibres.
Overall 49 🪢Nylon
Carothers’ polyamide — stockings, tyre cord, climbing rope and a melt-drip fire personality.
Overall 48 🦺Aramid
Aromatic polyamide pulps and filaments — ballistic packs, hot-gas filtration and asbestos replacement.
Overall 62