The Mean Fibre Diameter & Medullation test is suitable for white fibres only – Wool, Mohair, Cashmere

Cost: 1-10 samples £20.00/sample, 10+ samples £19.00/sample

What You Get	Description
Mean Fibre Diameter Test	Mean Fibre Diameter (µm) Standard Deviation (SD) of the mean in microns (µm) Coefficient of Variation (CV) of the mean in percentage (%) Sample Size (number of individual fibres measured) Comfort Factor (percentage of fibres under 30µm) Histogram in 2µm bins (steps) showing the number of fibres in each 2µm bin and how they accumulate to 100% of the fibres measured.
The number of fibres in 10,000 (10k) that are considered Objectionable (kemp fibres)	The fibres have a hollow centre where the internal structure of the cells has collapsed. Light goes into the fibre and is refracted within it. The effect, under the microscope, is to make the fibre look as if it has a black stripe inside. This stripe can take up more than 90% of the internal space of the fibre and this is considered an Objectionable Fibre. In your hand, the fibre will probably look coarse, uneven and dead, this is a kemp fibre and will not take up dyestuffs and may break during processing.
The number of Flat Fibres (medulla has collapsed) and the number of Medullated Fibres	A fibre can have small amounts of collapsed cells and empty space and have a narrow medulla or a broken or spotted medulla down the centre of the fibre. This may not be noticeable when you hold the fibre in your hand but will have an effect when the fibre is dyed making it look uneven. The OFDA calls these Flat Fibres or just Medullated fibres depending on how much light they reflect or absorb i.e. how opaque they are.