Animal fibres are natural fibres obtained from fur, fleece or from the secretion of certain animals. The most important fibre of this category is wool, made for the most part by keratin, and divided into different types. Its thermal features make it the fibre of the clothing sector for excellence.
Wool is also very appreciated as fabric in the furniture field and for the production of carpets and fitted carpets; thanks to its very high flash point, it is a flame retardant fibre, and it doesn’t burn, but chars.
Silk is another very important animal fibre: it’s a protein fibre produced from Bombyx Mori silkworms’ slime. Worms secret a filament of variable length - from 350 meters to 1000 meters - with which they create a cocoon made of 80% fibroin. By spinning and weaving this fibre, the finest and most valuable fabrics are obtained, made of unique lightness and brightness, hardly reproducible with other fibres. Silk fabrics are really appreciated for the production of jackets, ties, scarves and for underwear. In the past, they were also used for tapestry and carpets.
