Buildings
Structure, lining, insulation or finish depending on family.
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Strength32
Heat resistance38
Fire performance48
Insulation72
Workability70
Circularity58
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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
Wool earns its keep in systems: a beam, a batt, a fibre blend, a coated steel — rarely a lone coupon.
Products below are cultural landmarks as much as SKUs.
Sectors
Transport
Mass, fire and fatigue rewrite the grade list.
Energy
Heat, voltage and hydrogen compatibility.
Consumer
The volume that pays for the mill.
Medical / food
When allowed — extractables and allergies matter.
Defence / safety
Ballistics, FR clothing, fire stops.
Products
Merino ram
18th c.–
Woolmark
1964
Harris Tweed
19th c.–
Savile Row worsted
19th c.–
Persian carpet wool
historic
Icebreaker merino
1990s–
Felt
prehistoric
Aran knit lore
20th c. brand
Pairings
cotton
Cellulose comfort without keratin’s odour story.
polyester
The fleece that copied wool’s loft with plastic.
silk
The other protein filament, smoother and weaker in sun.
mineral-wool
The namesake inorganic insulator — not a textile cousin.
If the pairing is wrong, the material will be blamed for a system fault.
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