Scouring involves the greasy wool being fed into a machine where it is continuously transported through a series of bowls, typically between 6 and 8 bowls, containing wash liquor.

How is wool washed and dried?

The scoured loose wool is then passed into a continuous drier, before it is passed through a number of machines which mechanically beat the wool to remove water insoluble compounds, such as sand and dust, which are not fully removed by the wash liquors during scouring.

What is carbonising in wool?

Carbonising occurs if the greasy wool contains a high percentage of vegetable matter (%VM), typically in excess of 2% to 3%.

What is the chemical breakdown of wool?

Most of the VM contained in wool is cellulosic in nature, which is broken down into carbon, by firstly immersing in a strong solution (6% to 7% weight for volume) of Sulphuric acid (H2SO4) then followed by baking in a dryer set at 95 o C to 120 o C.