WHATS A MICRON?
A micron (µ) is a unit of measure (one millionth of a meter) that describes the average fiber diameter of a staple or lot of wool. During the late 1970s it evolved to be the dominant term used commercially, replacing the yarn or spinning count as a description of wool’s fineness. Micron is determined by objective measurement when wool lots are tested for sale or upon processing. Most wool ranges in the 18-40 micron range. The 18µ -24µ range describes what is commercially recognized as Merino wool. Of this, only Merino with a count of 19µ or less can be classed as “Superfine”. Australian Wool Classing, publisher AWCorp, 1993 states: For many people, wool garments feel “prickly” and evoke an allergic reaction. Wool scientists have determined that when the mean fiber diameter is less than 20µ and less than 5% of the fibers have a diameter in excess of 30µ the fabric will have ” reduced prickle intensity to a level which will not be perceived as skin discomfort by most people under normal
