Natural fibres - Matherm® GmbH

	Natural balance Wool fibres can hold up to a third of their own weight in moisture, without the material feeling damp. This is a lot compared to cotton (which can only hold up to 8%) and synthetic fibres (which can usually only hold less than 5 % moisture). Just as wool can bind moisture, it can give you a dry feeling, too. A constant source of warmth When you sleep under a wool blanket, the moisture lost through persperation is absorbed and therefore a pleasant micro-climate is produced. A constant body temperature is therefore sustained and the risk of a rapid body temperature loss is also reduced. non-flammable Due to its chemical composition and relatively high moisture content, wool is practically non-flammable. Wool combusts only at 560°c, and when the heat source is removed, the flame usually dies on its own. non-static Due to its high moisture content, wool does not become statically-charged. Dust, dirt and fluff will not be "drawn" to the wool product. A good feeling all-round Many tests have proved that, wool can help us feel less invulnerable during the different sleep phases, as wool provides us with a feeling of comfort . Wool provides you with a more relaxed period of sleep. Babies respond even more positively towards the soft, fluffy wool products. The German saying "Wolle macht Kinder froh und Erwachsene ebenso !" (wool makes children happy and adults too !) sums up the "all-round" feeling wool can provide. The healthy option Cultures which have maintained their closeness to nature, use wool to help symptoms such as rheumatism and other joint related illnesses. Perhaps we should take a leaf out of their book!? Environmentally friendly Another less-known advantage that wool has to offer is, its ability to absorb and bind many types of chemicals. It can even sometimes neutralize them completely. This means, that wool acts as a type of environmetal aid against harmful substances. It tackles persperation with it's inner make-up and sulphur dioxide through its outer structure. Wool is washable The R & D dpeartment of the "The Woolmark Company" (Wool Product Certification Organisation) in Ilkley (England) is constantly working to improve the benefits that the raw material has to offer. They have recently developed something which improves wool even more. Wool which has been treated in "SUPERWASH", can now be washed in machine on a wool cycle, without becoming hard and "knotted". « back		Virgin wool (100 % loom) is the raw material gained from the shearing of sheep. It has been used since the Bronze Age as a form of textile. The sheepskin comprises of the outer, stiffer and coarser hair, which acts as protection against the weather elements. However, it also includes the finer, softer hair which regulate the animal's body temperature. The "real" virigin wool is gained primarily from the finer hair. When the structure of the fibres is more symmetrical, the wool has a better quality. While the fleece grows, sebaceous glands produce a fat called Lanolin, which occurs naturally in the body. Lanolin seals every hair, so that no moisture reaches the skin. Camel, has become popular because it's hard-wearing and light in weight. Camels are not usually shorn; indeed they usually just loose tufts of hair during the Spring. These tufts of hair are then sorted according to their fineness. Camel hair tends not to felt and crease. It also possesses a light natural sheen. In order to be able to produce anything from camel hair, it needs to be mixed with other fibres. We concentrate on combining it with high-quality Merino, which has been carded and then spun.(505 camel hair loom/50% Merino). The attributes of the camel hair are not altered through the combination of the two. The protective fleece acts as a type of air conditioning for the animals. This quality is sustained, even after processing. The radiant fibres warm wonderfully, are hard-wearing and they are still light and soft. Cashmere comes from the cashmere goat and it is very elastic. The cashmere goat's fleece is made of coarse bristles and fine hair underneath the bristles. Cashmere itself, is obtained by pulling and combing the hair. This is a very excessive process. The result is usually only between 300 and 400 grams a year, depending on the goat. This naturally explains the price. Just like camel hair, cashmere must be used with other fibres in the production of textiles. Llama Alpaca (100 % loom) is a domesticated species of South American camelid. Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, and northern Chile. The fleece is a light-weight, lustrous and silky natural fibre. The end product (which is nearly a natural white) is gained by carding the 22 different natural hair colours, which exist in a a llama alpaca fleece. The llama alpaca hair is especially hard-wearing, due to the large temperature differences which exist in this terrain. Its structure means that it is also a good insulator.