Wool Waste Research Articles

Sustainable and green process for recycling waste wool textiles into high-quality protein fibers on a pilot scale

For the first time, waste wool textiles have been recycled into high-quality protein fibers via protein dissolution. Traditional mechanical wool recycling, with serious damage to protein fibers and limited color styles on fibers, only boosts 5% of post-consumer wool recycling rate. Other recycling is hindered due to the failure of dye removal and protein dissolution. Here, we have developed green and sustainable processes of complete dye separation, establishment of desirable molecular entanglement in protein dissolution, and recovery of crosslinkages in spun fibers. More than 80% of waste wool was recycled into protein fibers, which were comparable to virgin wool fibers, with retention of more than 90% of mechanical, wet, and dyeing properties of virgin wool. Recycled dyes, completely separated from proteins via the disruption of molecular interactions in wool and controlled protein precipitation, were reused and demonstrated the desired dyeability without generating dye wastes.

Upcycling Wool Waste into Keratin Gel-Based Nanofibers Using Deep Eutectic Solvents.

Millions of tons of wool waste are produced yearly by textile industries, which may become a serious environmental hazard in the near future. Given this concern, it is crucial to explore strategies to reduce the amount of wool waste generated worldwide and adopt more sustainable practices for dissolving and regenerating wool keratin (WK) from textile waste. Most traditional methods involve the use of expensive, toxic, harmful, and poorly biodegradable compounds. To overcome these limitations and facilitate the reuse of wool waste through a cascade valorization strategy, researchers have started testing the use of deep eutectic solvents (DES) as a more sustainable and eco-friendly alternative for WK dissolution and regeneration. In this study, the potential of two different DES mixtures, Choline chloride (ChCl): Urea and L-Cysteine (L-Cys): Lactic acid (LA), was explored for dissolving wool waste. Subsequently, the gels obtained based on DES-WK were blended with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in different ratios to produce nanofibers using the electrospinning technique. The PVA/L-Cys: LA DES-WK proved to be the most effective DES mixture for fabricating WK gel-based nanofibers. Furthermore, their antioxidant and antimicrobial abilities were evaluated, thus confirming their bioactivity. The results obtained revealed that this approach to valorizing textile waste offers a unique avenue for the development of sustainable functional materials with potential applications in various biomedical and industrial fields.

Effects of mineral wool waste in alkali activated-artificial aggregates for high-temperature applications

In this study, an alternative utilization route for Mineral Wool Waste (MWW) as a solid precursor for artificial aggregate manufacturing is proposed. The process parameters including alkali activation (Na or K) and curing regimes are investigated. Room and high-temperature (1000 °C) characterizations are performed on the plain aggregates and when incorporated in geopolymer composite. The results reveal that with an optimum pre-curing regime at room temperature for 3 days, artificial aggregates with particle density ranging from 1960 to 2090 kg/m3 and crushing strength of 7.0 to 7.9 MPa can be obtained. The behaviour of aggregates is strongly related to the alkali cation type. The Na-based activator with high viscosity resulted in a more irregular grain shape with a lower particle density and a crushing strength as compared to K-activated aggregates. High crystallinity is observed in K-activated aggregates, causing better thermal stability. The alkali-activated artificial aggregates show a geopolymer-like behaviour in geopolymer composites, which contributes to higher strength development over normal sand aggregate.

Effect of Mechanically Activated Nepheline-Syenite Additive on the Physical-Mechanical Properties and Frost Resistance of Ceramic Materials Composed of Illite Clay and Mineral Wool Waste.

This study investigates the coupling effect of mechanically activated nepheline-syenite (NS) and mineral wool melt waste (MWMW) on the physical-mechanical properties of a ceramic body. The results indicate that an optimal amount (10-20%) of NS additive promotes the formation of the smallest pore size from 0.001 to 0.01 µm, as well as improves physical, mechanical, and durability properties of the ceramic samples with MWMW, when fired at temperatures between 1000 and 1080 °C. As the NS content increases, the composition becomes more alkaline, leading to enhanced vitrification and the formation of a glass phase during firing. This reduces open porosity, modifies pore size distribution, and enhances compressive strength and frost resistance. An NS content of 15% produces the best results, increasing the smallest pore fraction and yielding favourable properties, such as reduced open porosity, water absorption and density, increased compressive strength, and does not affect the linear shrinkage. The frost resistance test demonstrates that the coupling effect of NS additive and MWMW improves the samples' resistance to freeze-thaw cycles, with the best performance observed at 15% NS content. The study also highlights the usefulness of structural parameters and ultrasound testing for assessing and predicting the frost resistance of ceramic samples.

Hybrid geopolymer paste from high calcium fly ash and glass wool: Mechanical, microstructure, and sulfuric acid and magnesium sulfate resistance characteristics

Geopolymer is a sustainable binder composed of source materials containing aluminosilicates under strongly alkaline conditions promising for use in place of cement in building materials due to its low carbon footprint. Although high calcium fly ash can be used as a source material for geopolymer binder, it has rarely been studied with other wastes especially, glass wool waste. Therefore, this study presents the use of glass wool (GWF) from the insulating materials waste and high calcium fly ash (HCFA) as binary precursors to produce geopolymer paste. HCFA was replaced by GWF at a ratio of 10–40% by weight. The sodium silicate-to-sodium hydroxide (NS/NH) ratio of 1.0 and a liquid-to-binder ratio of 0.6 were used. The geopolymer pastes were cured at room temperature before mechanical, microstructural, and durability property analyses. The results showed that the setting time and slump flow increased with increasing GWF content. The incorporation of GWF had little effect on the early strength of the geopolymer paste, but the 28-day compressive strength was significantly enhanced up to ∼67% (30% replacement) higher than that of the HCFA geopolymer paste. Likewise, the flexural strength increased with increasing GWF replacement content. The total porosity of the hybrid geopolymer paste was lower than that of the HCFA one resulting from the reaction and filling effect of the geopolymer matrix. The XRD, FTIR, and SEM-EDX analyses showed the presence of geopolymerization products with calcium silicate hydrate regardless of the geopolymer mixture composition. This suggested that GWF could react with alkaline activators to form geopolymer products even though some unreactive GWF was observable when GWF replaced at 40% by weight. Furthermore, an increase in GWF content led to better resistance to sulfuric acid and magnesium sulfate attack, which was observed within 180 days. All of these results suggested that GWF was an effective secondary precursor for improving the fresh and hardened properties of HCFA-based geopolymer paste. In addition, the residue acts as a reinforcing material in the matrix paste. Consequently, improved resistance to acid corrosion and sulfate expansion were significant.

UTILIZACIÓN DE MATERIAL COMPUESTO DE ESCAYOLA PARA LA ELABORACIÓN DE PRODUCTOS PREFABRICADOS SOSTENIBLES: ESTUDIO DE SU PROCESO DE FABRICACIÓN, PROPIEDADES Y CADENA DE SUMINISTRO

The building sector is currently involved in a process of change as a result of concerns about the sustainability of the construction industry. For this reason, the application of circular economy criteria that are committed to the development of new, more sustainable construction materials has become one of the major challenges included in the European Green Pact. In this research, the physical and mechanical characterisation of a new plaster composite material with the incorporation of recycled rubber granular particles and glass wool waste fibres has been carried out. It has been possible to replace up to 30% of the original plaster material with recycled raw material, improving the thermal behaviour of the prefabricated plaster plates. In addition, good mechanical performance has been obtained and the weight of the precast elements has been reduced. Finally, using the FlexSim simulation software, different scenarios have been examined which have permitted to know the increases in productivity in the manufacturing process derived from the use of these lightened sustainable materials, as well as to verify the reduction in fuel consumption (litres/plate) and CO2 emissions during transport. For all these reasons, the application of circular economy criteria applied to waste management is fundamental to progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Key Words: circular economy, building/construction industry product innovation, sustainable prefabricated construction, efficiency, simulation.

Composting of Natural Fibre Wastes for Preparation of Organic Manures and Bio-enhancers

"Various agricultural and industrial activities produce natural fibre waste that can harm the environment if not disposed properly. These wastes contain valuable plant nutrients that need to be recycled to sustain soil quality and health, and reduce environmental pollution. Composting is an efficient, sustainable, and inexpensive way to treat solid wastes. This study focused on the preparation of composts from jute leaf waste, pineapple leaf wastes, banana pseudo stem waste along with retting liquors as bio-enhancers and to evaluate their quality. The quality of compost determines its ability to perform its projected function. The feedstocks are the main factor that affects the compost qualities, but the composting process also counts. The compost and retting liquors were tested in the laboratory for different parameters such as electrical conductivity, pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and potassium, micronutrients, heavy metals and C/N ratio. The results showed that compost made from natural fibre and bio-enhancer i.e. retting liquor can be a good source of plant nutrition and microbial activity. Pineapple leaf waste had a higher C: N ratio than jute leaf waste which resulted faster decomposition of jute leaves. Retting liquor had more bacteria than fungi. No actinomycetes were seen in the liquor. Waste wool had the highest nitrogen content among other fibre residues, so it can be a sustainable alternative to nitrogen source for crop nutrition. The quality evaluation will give us an insight on influence of compost produced from natural fibre waste in crop production."

Thermal plasma processing of high temperature insulation wools

High temperature insulation wool (HTIW) wastes, generated in large volume as a part of demolition and construction processes, are difficult to recycle and pose significant hazards to health and environment. Alkaline earth silicate wools (AESW) and alumino silicate wools (ASW) are the two major types. Typical constituents include silica and oxides of Ca, Al and Mg etc. in varying ratios, giving rise to their specific colours and inherited thermo-physical properties. Successful mitigation and reuse of such wools have not been explored enough. Possibly for the first time, the study makes an extensive investigation on air plasma mitigation of four most commonly used HTIW, namely, fresh rock wool, waste rock wool, waste stone wool and waste ceramic wool. This is a single step dry process. Use of freely available ambient air to generate plasma, extremely high enthalpy, presence of nascent atomic and ionic species and extremely high temperature make the process fast, efficient, economic and unique one to convert such wastes into valorised product. While the thermal field delivered by an air plasma torch has been derived from magneto-hydrodynamic simulation, the study makes a direct in-situ investigation of the evolution of thermal field in the melting zone using two colour pyrometer, and characterises the vitreous solidified end product using X-diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis, Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Neutron Activation Analysis. Possible valorisation and use of the end product have been discussed in light of their observed elemental composition.

Optimization of seismic performance in waste fibre reinforced concrete by TOPSIS method

For a sustainable environment and to tackle the pollution problem, industrial wastes can be used in concrete composite materials. This is especially beneficial in places prone to earth quack and lower temperature. In this study, five different types of waste fibres such as polyester waste, rubber waste, rock wool waste, glass fibre waste and coconut fibre waste were used as an additive in 0.5% 1%, and 1.5% by mass in concrete mix. Seismic performance related properties of the samples were examined through evaluation of compressive strength, flexural strength, impact strength, split tensile strength, and thermal conductivity. Results showed that, impact strength of the concrete significantly improved by the addition of fibre reinforcement in concrete. Split tensile strength and flexural strength were significantly reduced. Thermal conductivity was also influenced by addition of polymeric fibrous waste. Microscopic analysis was performed to examine the fractured surfaces. In order to get the optimum mix ratio, multi response optimization technique was used to determine the desired level of impact strength at an acceptable level of other properties. Rubber waste was found to be the most attractive option followed by coconut fibre waste for the seismic application of concrete. The significance and percentage contribution of each factor was obtained by Analysis of variance ANOVA (α = 0.05) and pie chart which showed that Factor A (waste fibre type) is the main contributor. Confirmatory test was done on optimized waste material and their percentage. The order preference similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) technique was used for developed samples to obtain solution (sample) which is closest to ideal as per given weightage and preference for the decision making. The confirmatory test gives satisfactory results with error of 6.68%. Cost of reference sample and waste rubber reinforced concrete sample was estimated, which showed that 8% higher volume was achieved with waste fibre reinforced concrete at approximately same cost as pure concrete. Concrete reinforced with recycled fibre content is potentially beneficial in terms of minimizing resource depletion and waste. The addition of polymeric fibre waste in concrete composite not only improves seismic performance related properties but also reduces the environmental pollution from waste material which has no other end use.

Close-loop recyclable and flexible halide perovskite@wool keratin sensor with piezoelectric property

Halide perovskites with excellent piezoelectric properties, but their poor stability hinders their large-scale application. Herein, a sandwich-structured halide perovskite flexible sensor with good stability was developed according to a three-step procedure as follows: (i) in-situ growth of wool keratin-CsPbBr3 (WK-CsPbBr3) using wool keratin in interfacial passivation and coating, (ii) electrospinning of a wool keratin-CsPbBr3/polyacrylonitrile (WCP) nanofiber film, and (iii) coating of the WCP nanofiber with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to obtain a sensor (WCPP). The sensor could generate a piezoelectric voltage of 7.8 V at a pressure of 6 kPa in the stages of pressing and releasing, and the output characteristics did not decline even after 10,000 cycles. Compared to the 4-month stability of the perovskite sensor, WCPP sensor exhibited the output performance even after 16 months, which indicated that wool keratin as a multidentate improved the stability of the halide perovskite. Additionally, the sensor displayed a self-cleaning property and could also light up 14 commercial LEDs. The close-loop recycling of the lead halide perovskite was achieved by dissolving the WCP nanofiber film in DMF and then re-electrospinning. Therefore, the method proposed is a step forward for achieving the commercialization of WK-CsPbBr3 and providing new avenues for further utilization of wool waste.

Revalorization of sheep-wool keratin for the preparation of fully biobased printable inks

Sheep wool waste has become a problem affecting the environment, as today the wool of most species has no commercial application and is considered a waste product. Sheep’s wool is mainly composed of keratin which, due to its protein nature and multiple functional groups, has attracted great interest in applications such as support materials in tissue engineering, bioactive materials, and targeted drug delivery. Support materials can be fabricated by 3D printing by syringe extrusion. However, keratin is not suitable for this technique as it does not present proper rheological characteristics. Alginate, a biopolymer derived from brown seaweed, offers a wide range of viscosities at room temperature and offers good performance in 3D printing. Thus, keratin and alginate-based mixtures, due to their properties and ecoefficiency, are interesting candidates to prepare 3D-printed scaffolds. The aim of this work was to develop fully biobased printable inks containing keratin, alginate, salvia extracts, and cellulose nanofibers. In a first stage, keratose, an oxidized form of keratin, was obtained from sheep wool by a clean extraction methodology, and the miscibility and viscosity of keratose-alginate mixtures were assessed. In a second stage, biobased inks were prepared parting from miscible keratose-alginate mixtures. Flow analysis, spectromechanical analysis, and recovery tests were carried out to analyze the effect of the ink formulation over rheological parameters and printability. Mesh and cylinder geometries were 3D printed and their mechanical properties, as well as shape fidelity and self-standing ability, were assessed.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Reducing the Leaching of Formaldehyde from Immobilized Wool in Geopolymer and Cement Mortar

Innovative building materials should also be pro-environmental. This article discusses the environmental footprint of geopolymer and cement-based mortars. It describes the methodology for preparing geopolymer and cement mortars using mineral wool waste. The phenol–formaldehyde resin used in mineral wool is a source of phenol and formaldehyde emissions to the environment. The prepared mortar samples were subjected to durability tests to assess the correlation between the amount of mineral wool and the flexural and compressive strength of the samples. The key element of the paper is to test whether immobilisation of mineral wool in the geopolymer will reduce leaching of phenol and formaldehyde into the environment. The results revealed that cements prepared with mineral wool showed higher compressive strength, whereas geopolymer samples had better flexural strength. The study also proved that immobilisation of the wool in the geopolymer reduces phenol and formaldehyde leaching significantly.

Utilisation of waste wool from mountain sheep as fertiliser in winter wheat cultivation

ABSTRACT Coarse wool obtained from mountain sheep has low economic value and is treated as a troublesome by-product of sheep farming. To find ways to utilize it, waste separated from the better-quality wool during sheep shearing was used as a fertilizer in winter wheat cultivation. During the preliminary tests, it was stated that unwashed wool does not contain excessive amounts of heavy metals and environmentally unfriendly contaminations and can be safely used as a fertilizer. Then, the raw wool was cut into shorter segments and mixed with the soil, and its influence on winter wheat growth during two seasons was examined. Simultaneously, the progress of wool biodegradation and the nitrogen content in the soil were analyzed. It was stated that, during vegetation, nitrogen compounds are slowly released into the ground, and the content of nitrogen in the soil is strictly correlated with the progress of wool biodegradation. Released nitrogen positively impacts wheat growth in various stages, which is manifested by higher tillering degree, more intense leaf color, higher stems and finally, greater yield. Wool added into the soil reveals its positive influence on wheat development up to two harvests. Mountain sheep wool can be successfully used as a nitrogen-rich, organic fertilizer in organic farming. This enables utilization of coarse wool, which is not suitable for textile processing, according to the zero-waste strategy.

Experimental study on affordable thermal insulation of exhaust manifolds using modified sheep wool waste

Internal Combustion (I.C.) engines generate lot of heat during high-speed operations. In order to prevent this heat loss, thermal insulation is mandatory to prevent heat transfer from the exhaust to the adjacent parts. The main aim of this work is to develop a thermally insulating material placed inside the catalytic converter to block the withdrawal of heat from the converter. This insulating material is usually placed between the heat shields for better heat dissipation. Comparison studies is executed between two different types of insulation material such as conventional Z-mat and super wool at various temperatures ranging from 200 °C to 800 °C for a period of 60 min and distortion results are noted at each temperature. Muffler furnace is used for the heat treatment analysis of the fabricated super wool. The composition of the novel fabricated super wool material can withstand all temperature levels between 200 °C and 800 °C, but the conventional Z-mat is suitable only up to 600 °C, where the Z-mat structure lost its capacity of insulation. Hence, the fabricated super wool material is more suitable for insulating catalytic converters and thereby it enhances the performance of engine with longer durability. In addition, hot vibration test is conducted for a duration of 50 h to check the thermal resistance capability of the super wool material. It is found that the thermal insulation is intact in position with absence of cracks or failures, inlet face erosion and retention losses. The fabricated thermal insulation mats from sheep wool waste also passed thermal shock test performed for 1500 thermal cycles. Thereby, this sort of sheep wool based affordable thermal insulation can be used for applications associated with larger thermal gradients to control the thermal-related errors such as shrinkage, warpage and distortion, which can also be extended to acoustic absorption.

Optimal supply chain networks for waste materials used in alkali-activated concrete fostering circular economy

Global objectives to mitigate climate change stimulate transformations within construction sector. Alternative binders to carbon-intensive cement are being researched, including alkali-activated materials. However, barriers preventing adaptation of developed solutions include the absence of supply chains and lack of collaborations between waste producers and concrete manufacturers. We propose a methodological framework that combines geospatial analysis and life cycle assessment with linear optimization model to identify the most optimal supply chain networks for waste materials, focusing on transportation between the actors. Two types of waste generated in Switzerland were examined as case studies, one with distributed source locations, such as ashes produced at municipal waste incinerators, and another with scattered source locations, such as mineral wool insulation waste from construction and demolition activities. Results show that direct symbiosis between waste producers and concrete manufacturers results in 68% and 63% lower CO2 emissions and costs of transportation for ashes and mineral wool waste respectively, compared to cement transportation for conventional concrete production. However, considering investment costs, decision-makers might support the centralized supply chain network design.

Fabrication of Wet-Spun Wool Keratin/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Hybrid Fibers: Effects of Keratin Concentration and Flow Rate.

Sheep wool is one of the most common wastes derived from agriculture and also a great source of keratin. In this study, chemical reduction and alkali hydrolysis methods of extracting keratin from wool were studied for the purpose of reusing the waste wool, and the products were used to fabricate wet-spun hybrid fibers by mixing with PVA. The comparative yield of the two extraction methods was investigated, and the optimal precursor concentration ratio for keratin extraction was identified. The effects of keratin concentration and wet-spinning flow rate on the mechanical properties of fabricated fibers were studied. Therefore, this study encourages the further investigation of wool keratin-based hybrid biomaterials, which could provide a new way to reuse waste wool.

Assessment of screening mineral wool waste from market by using handheld X‐ray fluorescence

AbstractStone wool from construction, renovation, demolition and horticultural applications is reclaimed for reuse and recycling. Variation of chemical composition of reclaimed material creates a challenge, especially with increasing quantities from construction and demolition sectors. Therefore, an assessment of handheld/portable X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer was carried out with the objective to quickly discriminate various type of man‐made vitreous fibres (MMVF). The evaluation concerned mainly light element analysis. Therefore, the effect of disturbing factors, such as moisture, organic matter, surface roughness and sample density were evaluated. Direct measurement on mineral wool product or granulate gives a precision of ±1.5% for Al2O3 and ±2.1% for SiO2 after calibration. Precision is enhanced by preparing pressed pellets, resulting in precision down to ±0.9% for Al2O3 and ±1.5% for SiO2 after correction. Provided correctly calibrated, handheld XRF analysis gives a quick indication, though not necessarily conclusive, whether the reclaimed material applies to so called “old wool,” manufactured prior to the EU legislation requiring increased bio‐solubility. A quick indication is very relevant for the renovation and demolition sector and subsequent re‐use or recycling of mineral wool because it affects transport and handling requirements. In case the analysis is not obviously discriminative, desktop analysis is still required. Presence of moisture and organic matter influence the detection of lighter elements, which especially affects analysis of horticultural recycling substrate granulate.

Waste wool/polycaprolactone filament towards sustainable use in 3D printing

3D printing is a popular technique for numerous applications from households to industrial purposes. Commercially available filaments for 3D printing are not eco-friendly, yet energy intensive due to their high extrusion temperature (200–220°C). Polycaprolactone (PCL) is increasingly proposed for 3D printing due to its biocompatibility and lower extrusion temperature, which is more sustainable, though is slow in actual biodegradation. Although PCL-blends are often proposed to promote the degradation, strong hydrophobicity of PCL leads to poor compatibility. This study, for the first time proposes waste wool/PCL filaments for 3D printing using a clean production method, to utilise the hydrophobicity of wool as an advantage with PCL interfaces. Micro-sized wool powders from waste wool fabrics of two fibre fineness (16 and 24 μm) were prepared with minimal in-process waste and then extruded completely with PCL using different ratios (10/90, 20/80 and 25/75 combination of wool/PCL) to produce the composite filaments. A uniform mixing in the composite structure was observed particularly with 10% of wool loading, also the biodegradation rate significantly increased, i.e., from 0.8% to 6.8–10.5% in 3 months. Filaments prepared with 10% and 20% wool showed an increased yield strength, while a finer diameter of initial fibre was found more influential in changing tensile, thermal, and crystalline properties. The reduction in crystallinity was found correlated to the increasing amount of wool, though interlayer spacing of PCL was unaltered and overall thermal stability improved. The filaments were found printable through a 0.4 mm nozzle using a desktop 3D printer at 80 mm/min speed. The findings suggested the possible use of the produced filaments for fabrication of varied products, such as containers for holding or packing, toys, and other common household objects or industrial tools.

Collagen and Keratin Hydrolysates to Delay the Setting of Gypsum Plaster.

Leather and wool waste represent a high concern due to the low level of valorization and circular economy demands for upcycling of biomass resources. Both biomasses can be easily processed as protein hydrolysates and used as functional additives due to the amphiphilic and tunable properties of collagen and keratin proteins. The chemical, physical, and structural investigations of collagen and keratin hydrolysate properties showed that the chelating abilities due to carboxylic groups can be exploited for gypsum retardant additives. The molecular weights and amino acid compositions of three different hydrolysates showed only slight influences on the setting time of gypsum; all three proteins delayed the setting time of gypsum between 60 and 120 min, as compared to the commercial plaster with a 30 min setting time. Higher molecular weight and more carboxylic active groups showed slight improvements in the setting time of mortars. The improved properties of keratin hydrolysate as compared to low molecular collagen hydrolysate were attributed to foaming and conductive properties. The mechanism of mortar setting delaying through calcium ions complexation by protein hydrolysates was shown by electric conductivity evolution of plasters with and without protein additives over time, supported by foaming properties, amino acid, and functional groups' composition. Lower bending strength values for the higher concentration of proteins do not reduce the potential to use the protein hydrolysates as retardant additives in mortar fabrication.

The Valorization Potential of Tannery Wool Waste in the Textile Industry

ABSTRACT According to environmental issues and guidelines, increasing efforts are being focused on reducing the harmful impact of textile wastes either by lowering the use of chemicals or by recycling wastes into new products to give them a new life cycle. In this paper, we investigate the physical and chemical properties of wool wastes coming from tanning industry, where the process of pulling the wool from the hide is based on chemical processes. These so-called “’Pulled wool’” properties are compared to virgin raw wool obtained from the same pelt, to evaluate the degradation of the fiber induced by the chemicals. SEM observations indicate that the pulled wool fiber surface appeared rougher, and the scales appeared to have been affected. Based on the X-ray diffraction, the crystallinity of the pulled fibers appeared to have been slightly reduced. Attenuated ATR-FTIR analyses indicated some changes in chemical composition. HPLC tests showed an apparent increase in the amount of cystic acids indicating damage of some macromolecular chains crosslinking. Thus, some properties appeared significantly affected during the chemical unhairing process. Based on these characteristics of pulled wool, potential applications to valorize it could be suggested, as we show that it remains suitable for conventional textile processes.