It is the textile fiber extracted from alpaca animal which come under natural textiles fibers

1. An over view on Alpaca
The Animal fibre
Presented by
P.Vijay babu
141la11006
3rd year
Textile technology
Vignan University

2. Introduction
Alpaca and Its Fibre:
Alpaca is a one of the animal fiber. It has been selected for fibre production for at least 3000 years.
The textile industry regards alpaca fibre as a specialty fibre, and classes the fibre as a luxury type.
It is sought after for its softness, warmth without weight, range of natural color and good strength.
There are two types of alpacas: Huacaya and Suri.
Huacaya produces crimped, dense fleeces, while Suri produces non-crimped, slippy, straight
fleeces. Suri fibre is longer, more lustrous and silky than Huacaya fibre. It is believed that alpaca
fibre is softer and lighter than wool fibre. Fibre from Huacaya is typically blended with Merino
wool or other fibers for use in overcoats and high fashion knitwear, as well as socks, hats, gloves
or floor covering, quilts filling, etc. Suri fibre is used extensively in brushed coating.
Flowchart of Camelid families
Alpaca Industry in Australia
Most alpaca animals are raised in the Andes Mountains of Southern America, especially in Peru,
Chile and Bolivia. The estimated total number of alpaca animals is 3.1 million and 90% of them
(near 2.8 million) are found in Peru .Only a few hundred alpaca animals were imported to Australia
from Chile through NZin the 1980’s, but the number has been growing in recent years. There were
over 20,000 animals in 1999 distributed amongst 1600 breeders scattered all over Australia.
Australia currently has the largest alpaca herd outside South America. It is estimated that the alpaca
population in Australia may have reached 45,000 now. The world alpaca fibre production is around
5,000 tons, mostly produced in Peru (3,500 tons), with the rest dispersed in Bolivia, Chile, New
Zealand, Australia and Northern-America. Large herds from the Andes produce fibers almost

3. exclusively for the European market. The current annual alpaca fibre production in Australia is
estimated at 75 tons in greasy weight. (30,000*2.5kg/head/year). So the alpaca industry in
Australia is still a very small industry compared with the wool industry, which harvested fleeces
from 130.4 million sheep with a shorn wool production of about 550 million kg greasy in the
2001/2002 financial year. Most alpaca enterprises at present are keen to focus on live animal
trading rather than growing fibre for processing. Australia has a great potential for a viable alpaca
industry. The Australian Alpaca Association (AAA) was founded in 1989. Its mission is to provide
national co-ordination for a growing national herd of high quality alpacas in Australia and to enable
a viable and sustainable animal and fibre industry. The Association has provided a wide range of
member services and has established strong links with fibre research, processing, manufacturing
and marketing organizations. The Alpaca Cooperative P/L (Alpaca Co-op) was established in
1995. The Co-op, on behalf of its members. Manufactures, designs and markets products derived
from Australian grown alpaca fibre. Its aims include achieving sustainable market confidence in
the alpaca livestock industry and a successful fibre production system, and sustaining the image
of alpaca as a soft, luxurious and versatile fibre. Both AAA and Alpaca Co-op promote alpaca and
alpaca products in Australia as well as overseas. Additionally, Australia has sound pastures and
modern technologies for breeding the best stocks. There is also an increasing interest in alpaca
fibers among fashion houses. Therefore, alpaca fibre prices are increasing now due to international
demands, particularly from Italians and Japanese. However the price of alpaca fibre exhibits a
pronounced price cycle and there is a large price discount as its mean fibre diameter (MFD)
increases. In Australia, the average price given by Alpaca Co-op now is $60/kg for fibre less than
20 microns and the price for fibre coarser than 30 microns is only $1/kg. The retail price for alpaca
clothing such as men’s jumpers is up to $350 per piece. The industry is gradually moving from
livestock trading to fibre based trading. The Australian Alpaca Association claims that by the year
2011 Australian alpaca fibre production will reach 950 tons. Hence, there is an urgent need for the
industry to understand the properties of Australian grown alpaca fibers, so that the industry can
market the fibre better and export high quality alpaca fibre products manufactured from high
quality fibers.
Properties of Alpaca Fibers in Different Color Groups
The alpaca fleece colors are classified into 6 categories. Within some color groups, there are sub-
groups depending on the color lightness or darkness such as brown (BR) and dark brown (DKBR).
Because of the small number of fine fibre (less than 1% of total fibre production) and lack of
applications of strong line fibre on apparel, the variation analysis on colors is only conducted for
the medium fineness samples. In order to examine the possibility of narrowing variations in fibre
diameter and length, two separated medium groups (according to the range of fibre diameter) are
also compared for most fibre characteristics. That the all samples are in the right diameter classing
line (Medium 25.1-30μm). In this medium group, except for the dark brown (DKBR), there are no
significant differences in mean fibre diameter (MFD) between colors, though white fibre has the
lowest MFD, which agrees with the findings reported by other researchers [68]. However, the
coefficients of variation of FD (CVD) for white (W), fawn (F), rose-grey (RG), brown (BR) and
dark brown (DKBR) fibers are lower than those for grey (G) and black (BLK) alpaca fibers. This
is because the grey (G) and black (BLK) fleeces are a mixture of fibers having large variations in
fibre diameter. The classer actually confirmed that a few fine fleeces were mixed with grey and
black medium lines. Therefore, the samples and their testing

4. Results represent the sale lots of alpaca fibers. The average grease content of fibers in all color
groups (about 2 %) is much lower than that of merino wool (10-20%), which agrees with the
previous fleece study. Residual grease contents in that all scoured fibers contain more than 0.5%
residual grease. The grey (G) and black (BLK) samples also contain higher levels of residual grease
than the others probably due to their higher grease content before scouring .The curvature (CUR)
of white fibers is significantly higher than that of dark color fibers (including BR, DKBR, G and
BLK). Rose-grey fleeces contain many white fibers, which may be the reason for its high curvature
results. Since fibre crimp improves fibre cohesion during the early stage fibre processing. Breeding
white or light colored alpacas is important from the fibre processing point of view.
Fibre properties in different color groups from the medium diameter classing line
Comparisons between Two Alpaca Breeds
As mentioned in the introduction, alpaca has two types – Huacaya and Suri, compares the two
types of fibers with a similar mean fibre diameter. The Suri fibre has much longer staple length
(SL) and coarser edge (AE30) than the Huacaya fibre. Higher RtC and CUR of Huacaya is
probably caused by its relatively higher crimp frequency associated with a lower staple length.
These differences between breeds appear to be related to different skin follicle attributes. The
staple strength (SS) for Huacaya and Suri fibers is similar in the fine line, but the Suri fibre is much
stronger in the medium line. The proportion of middle break is very close for both Huacaya and
Suri regardless of their fineness. But the two fibre types differ in tip and base breaks.

5. Surface Morphology of Alpaca Fibers
In order to reveal how the dirt remains on the fibre, we examined the alpaca fibers under the
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The fibre samples were taken from various fibre processing
stages. The SEM image of unscored alpaca fibers in that a lot of dust particles are bound on the
fibre surface. It appears that most of dust particles are associated with the scale tips. This suggests
that most of dirt nests at the tips of scales and it is possible that scales may provide a ‘shelter’ for
the dirt, and the dust is difficult to remove during scouring.

6. Processing of Alpaca Fibers
Australian alpaca fibre processors need to manufacture high quality and value added alpaca
products. Currently, there are no dedicated facilities to process alpaca fibre due to the quantity
limitation of the alpaca fibre and underdevelopment of the alpaca fibre industry. Both alpaca and
wool fibers are animal fibers, and their physical and mechanical properties are very similar. Wool
fibre processing facilities are usually used for alpaca fibre processing.
Since alpaca fibre is very similar to wool fibre, it is assumed that alpaca fibre processing should
follow the same route as wool fibre. Normally, there are three intermediate gilling’s before
combing, two gilling operations on the combed sliver for worsted top finishing, and three gill
boxes for worsted drawing before roving and worsted spinning. Some fibre processors therefore
follow the same sequences of wool processing for alpaca fibre processing, others skip a pre-
combing gill box (no third gilling after carding) for worsted alpaca yarn processing. If two preparer
gilling’s are acceptable, skipping one post-combing gilling/drawing may also be feasible. In order
to design a route of alpaca fibre processing, we give a brief review of wool fibre processing here.
The Woolen System
 The woolen system is capable of processing wools and animal fibers of almost any fibre
length distribution, some of which otherwise would be wasted.
 The products may range from cheap remanufactured fibers, such as waste wools or noils
from worsted combing, to more luxurious fibers, such as lamb’s wool and expensive luxury
fibers, such as cashmere and vicuña.
 A woolen card is used to provide an intermediate slubbing for producing a rough, whiskery
woolen yarn in which fibers are crossed in all directions.

7. Alpaca Fibre Processing System
Alpaca fibre is generally coarser than wool fibre, and alpaca yarns are weaker than most wool
yarns, which are discussed in Chapter 4. Only a small amount of medium and strong alpaca fibers
are processed on the woolen system, to produce blanket and carpet yarns. In addition, alpaca
fabrics are fuzzier than wool fabrics. Therefore, worsted fibre processing is expected to be the best
choice for the alpaca fibre. The research in this project thus focuses on the worsted processing of
alpaca fibers.
Main Processes in the Worsted Alpaca Fibre Processing
Several trials of worsted alpaca fibre processing have been conducted to evaluate the process
Effectiveness. Some major processes examined are summarized below.

8. Scouring
Greasy alpaca fibers are usually scoured through an aqueous scouring process, in which most of
the grease, dirt, suint and protein contaminants are removed, but vegetable matters (VM) still
remain. Alpaca fibre has less grease than wool fibre, and therefore, the scouring condition for
alpaca fibre is normally gentler than for wool.
Carding
In order to convert the scoured alpaca fibre into a yarn, a carding process is inevitably needed. A
Worsted card is used to convert the entangled flock of scoured alpaca fibers into a carded sliver
with better fibre parallelization. Like wool fibre, the main objectives of worsted alpaca fibre
carding are:
• To open and individualize the entangled scoured alpaca tufts with minimum fibre breakage,
and blend the different groups/types of fibers uniformly;
• To remove most of the impurities mechanically (i.e. burrs and other vegetable matters),
which may cause defects in the ultimate yarn appearance;
• To align the fibers in a more or less parallel form, avoiding any detrimental effect on the
mean fibre length and reducing combing tear in the subsequent combing stage;
• To form a rope-like sliver of definite weight and thickness.
Preparer Gilling
The preparer drafting plays a peculiar role that influences the combing performance, and
furthermore, the evenness of the fibre assembly subsequently obtained. Generally, drafting helps
to straighten fibers and removes hooks. The fibre configuration in the yarns is closely related to
the yarn strength. The purpose of the gilling operation is therefore to straighten and parallelize the
fibers of the sliver in preparation for the combing operation. Since the alpaca fibre surface is
smooth and the fibre crimp is much lower than wool fibre, alpaca fibre can be easily straightened
and parallelized through gilling’s. The number of gilling passages before spinning may not be
necessarily the same as wool. Three intermediate gilling’s between carding and combing are often
used in the worsted system to ensure good fibre blending and parallelization. With the three gilling
arrangement, fibers are presented to the comb in the right direction. Fine and baby alpaca fibre
usually use three preparer gilling’s. However, to process medium and strong alpaca fibers, two
intermediate gilling’s May also be used to retain sliver cohesion force and reduce processing cost.
Combing
In order to produce premium alpaca yarns necessary for the worsted trade, the fibre material has
to possess certain properties, such as absence of very short fibers (shorter than 15 mm) and
impurities, such as naps and vegetable matters. To produce a sliver with the necessary
characteristics for the production of a worsted yarn, a combing process is therefore necessary. The
main objectives of combing must be:
• To remove the short fibers, highly entangled fibers (e.g. naps), and remaining foreign
matters (eg.VM);

9. • To arrange the remaining long fibers into a more or less parallel formation and at the same
time, assemble them into a continuous sliver.
• This sliver is very crucial for the production of fine and strong worsted yarns.
Top Finishing and Blending
After combing, the fibre blending and sliver evenness are accomplished by means of drafting and
Doubling. It is normal to use two gilling operations to arrange the fibers into a satisfactory sliver
of definite and uniform weight per unit length. The second gilled sliver is called a top. Because of
the limited quantity of alpaca fibre, in most cases, scoured alpaca fibre is processed in a vertical
mill. In other words, tops will be converted into roving’s and further engineered into yarns directly
in the same mill. An alpaca fibre top can be blended with a wool top through gilling’s. Fibre color
in the alpaca top should be light or bleached. At least 3-5 gilling’s are required to achieve basic
blending evenness. Chapter 5 discusses alpaca/wool blends in more detail.
Alpaca and Wool Blend
The world alpaca fibre production is around 5,000 tons per annum, of which, the current annual
Alpaca fibre production in Australia is estimated at 75 tons in greasy weight [2, 45, and 70]. With
the limited quantity of Australian alpaca fibre, the blend of alpaca fibre with wool is very important
to utilize the alpaca fibre. Blending is also expected to enhance the alpaca fibre processiblity and
promote the fibre in a wide range of market places. However, there is a lack of published data on
how to select the wool fibre properties for the blend, especially the selection of wool fibre crimp.
The alpaca fibre industry is keen to know the role of wool fibre crimp types in the alpaca/wool
blend.
Softness of Alpaca Fibre
Alpaca fibre is soft, and typically blended with Merino wool or other fibers for use in overcoats
and high fashion knitwear. With the development of the rare animal fibre industry, considerable
interest has been shown in alpaca animals and alpaca fibre products. When feeling alpaca and wool
fibers, people often wonder why alpaca fibers are much softer than wool, even when the alpaca
fibers are a few microns coarser than wool. Soft-handle is a result of subjective evaluation. It
involves in a combination of fibre/fabric characteristics, such as surface roughness/smoothness,
bending stiffness, compressibility, resilience, extensibility, fabric thickness and so on. The
fibre/fabric may be soft if it is smooth, easier to compress and suppler, and has a lower bending
rigidity.

10. Fiber Testing Terminology
Normal Distribution
The graph of a normal distribution, the normal curve, is a bell-shaped curve. Many
biological phenomena, including animal fiber diameter distributions for single-coated
animals, result in data distributed in a close approximation to normal. Hence,
statistics applicable to normally distributed populations (mean, standard deviation,
and coefficient of variation) are used to define these fiber diameter distributions. The
normal curve is symmetric about a vertical center line. This center line passes through
the value (the high point of the bell) that is the mean, median and the mode of the
distribution. A normal distribution is completely determined when its mean and
standard deviation are known. Approximately sixty-eight percent of all measureme nts
lie within one standard deviation of the mean and approximately 95.0 percent of a ll
measurements lie within two standard deviations of the mean. More than 99.5 percent
of all measurements will lie within three standard deviations of the mean.
Fiber Diameter Measurement and Distribution
Fiber diameter is measured in microns. One micron is equal to 1/1,000,000th of a
meter or 1/25,400th of one inch. Mean Fiber Diameter (MFD) is in common use
internationally. MFD, Standard Deviation (SD), and Coefficient of Variation (CV)
all relate to the (approximate) normal distribution of the animal fiber diameters. SD
characterizes dispersion of individual measurements around the mean. In a normal
population, 66% of the individual values lie within one SD of the mean, 95% within
two SD’s, and 99% within 2.6 SD’s. Since SD tends to increase with increasing MFD,
some people prefer to use CV (=SD*100/MFD) as a method of comparing variabilit y
about different-sized means.

11. Comfort Factor
Comfort factor is the percentage of fibers over 30 microns
subtracted from 100 percent. Ten percent of fibers over 30
microns corresponds to a comfort factor of 90 percent
.
Curvature
Fiber curvature is related to crimp. Average Fiber Curvature (AFC) is determined by
the measurement of two millimeter (2mm) snippets in degrees per millime ter
(deg/mm). The greater the number of degrees per millimeter, the finer the crimp. For
wool, low curvature is described as less than 50 deg/mm, medium curvature as the
range of 60-90 deg/mm, and high curvature as greater than100 deg/mm.
Typical values might be illustrated by a 30 micron Crossbred wool fleece with
typically low curvature and broader crimp with a frequency of approximately two
crimps/cm. In contrast, a 21 micron Merino fleece typically has a medium curvature
and a medium crimp with a frequency of approximately four (4) crimps/cm. A 16
micron Superfine Merino fleece typically has a high curvature and a fine crimp with
a frequency of approximately seven (7) crimps/cm.
Spinning Fineness
This number (expressed in microns) provides an estimate of the performance of the
sample when it is spun into yarn by combining the measured mean fiber diameter
(MFD) and the measured coefficient of variation (CV). The original theory comes
from Martindale, but the formula used comes from Butler and Dolling and normalizes
the equation so that the spinning fineness is the same as the MFD when the CV is
24%.
Length & Strength
Length is measured in millimeters (mm) and the reported measurements readjusted to
an annual growth period. Strength is measured in Newton’s/kilotex (N/ktex) and is
the force (measured in Newton’s) required to break a staple of a given thickness
(measured
In kilotex). On the earth’s surface, one kilogram exerts a force of 9.8 Newton’s (1kg
x acceleration due to gravity measured in meters/second2). Kilotex indicates
thickness in terms of mass per unit length expressed as kg/km. intrinsically, alpaca
fibers appear to be very strong, and an average of 50 N/ktex or better is not unusual.
From a processing point of view, a mean staple strength greater than 30 N/ktex is
considered adequate for processing wool on today’s high-speed equipment.
Resistance to Compression
The resistance to compression (RTC) of alpaca fibers is measured in kilopascals
(Kpa). A Pascal (Pa) is a unit of pressure equivalent to the force of one Newton per
square meter. In the commercial sector, RTC values >11 kPa are considered high, 8
to 11 kPa medium, and <8 kPa is low. The intrinsic resistance to compression of

12. alpaca is low because of the relatively low levels of crimp. Thus, alpaca is not suited
to end-uses that require high resistance to compression (or high bulk).
Position of Break
Truly sound fibers break in the middle section of the staple. Intrinsically, alpaca
fibers appear to be very strong, in the 50 N/ktex range. A mean staple strength greater
than 30 N/ktex is considered adequate for processing wool on today’s high-speed
equipment.
Clean Yield
Yield is based on bone-dry, extractives- free wool (alpaca) fiber or wool (alpaca) base
(WB). Many different “commercial” yields are used in the international marketing of
wool fibers. These are values calculated to predict the amount of clean fiber obtained
after commercial scouring and/or after combing. Allowances are typically made for
grease, ash, vegetable matter, and moisture. Various percentages of moisture are
added in these calculations of commercial yield, which in some cases (very clean
wool or some alpaca yields) may result in the clean yield exceeding 100%.
Characteristics and Properties of alpaca:
 8 times warmer than wool.
 Light weight.
 Insulating fiber comfortable in any climate.
 Non shrinkable.
 Non felting
 Non-inching.
 Safe for people who suffer from wool allergies .
 Softer than cashmere.
 Microns: 10 -18.
 Color: gray-brown.
 Staple length: 3.5–7 cm (1.5–3 inches).
Merino Wool
"Wherever sheep's feet touch the ground, the land turns to gold.” The Spanish were onto somethi
ng. Sheep's wool is the most popular type of wool, due to it being widely available and highly ver
satile. Merino wool has superior shine, legendary softness, great breathability, and a lot of warmt
h for minimal weight. Merino sheep are most often raised in the mountainous regions of Australi
a and New Zealand. Merino is praised for its easily dye-able pure white color. Merino wool does
not have the itchy feel of some wool, is odor absorbent, and provides high levels of UV protectio
n. Merino is used to make high-end fabrics and yarns for use in luxury garments and knitwear.
Characteristics and Properties of Merino Wool:
 Superior shine
 Legendary softness
 Great breathability
 Maintains shape when stretched
 Is colorfast when dyed

13.  Is wrinkle resistant
 Is static-free.
 Strong and durable
 Is naturally white
 Is flame retardant
 Non itchy
 Provides high levels of UV protection
 Count: 60s-70s
 Microns: 16-18
 Staple length: 3-4 inches / 75-100mm
North American Alpaca
Softer and sturdier than cashmere and lighter than sheep's wool, alpaca fleece is a luxurious com
modity that produces warm, silky, durable, and feather-light garments. Alpaca wool boasts treme
ndous warmth and insulation with soft drape and texture.
Alpaca is 5-7 times warmer than wool (which is already warm), due to microscopic air pockets th
at trap and insulate. Alpaca has no lanolin and is hypoallergenic. Alpaca fiber is less itchy and fee
ls softer because the fiber surface scales lie flatter and smoother than sheep wool. The fibers are a
lso very strong and durable.
Characteristics Properties of North American Alpaca Wool:
 Boasts tremendous warmth and insulation with soft drape and texture
 Is fine, silky, and lightweight
 Has a nice luster
 Is strong and durable
 Does not generally pill · No Lanolin
 Hypoallergenic
 Micron: 16 to 18
 Staple length: 3 – 4 inch
 1 kilo yield per baby Alpaca a year
Applications of alpaca fibre:
 Apparels
 Sacks
 Gloves
 Home furnishing
 Carpetsand coverings.
 Ropes
 Suiting’s
 Cushions

14. Conclusion
Alpaca fiber has got unique combination of properties and is used to make
apparels, home furnishing products and textile based products. It is 100 %
biodegradable and is extracted from alpaca animal which is a renewable source.
There is need of a lot of research in the area of fiber and yarn manufacturing to
reduce the costof productionand improve performance quality.
References:
1. Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America. “AFCNA Comparison of Processor
Prices.” E mail attachment to authors. October 5, 2004.
2. www.wikipedia.com.
3. www.asian textile journal.com
4. http://www.afcna.com/member/2004-quality.html, page viewed April 19, 2004.
5. www.organicexchange.com
6. Fiber Characteristics of U.S. Huacaya Alpacas by Angus McGill.