ForMatter/Materials/textile/Worsted Wool
mat_wool_worsted

Worsted Wool

natural protein fiber, combed-yarn weave · worsted, wool worsted, wool suiting
mediumlast updated 2026-04-26
metallic 0.00
hue shift +0°

Wool yarn made by combing the fiber to align the long strands, then spinning a smooth, dense, strong yarn. Used in suit fabric, upholstery, fine knitwear. Warmer than cotton, more elastic, naturally flame-resistant — the reason airliner seat covers are wool.

Keratin fiber from sheep (Merino, Rambouillet, Lincoln, Romney). Worsted process combs out short fibers (noils) and aligns long ones; resulting yarn is smoother, stronger, and finer than woollen-spun yarn. Crimped fiber gives wool its loft and elasticity. Inherent flame retardance per BS 5852 / NFPA 701.

mechanical

  • tensile_strength_mpa200
  • elongation_at_break_pct25
  • fiber_diameter_um22
source: Textile Institute Handbook; Wool Industries Research Association

Sustainability

  • embodied carbon kg co2e per kg18.0
  • sourceEditorial estimate from ICE / Granta CES EduPack class databases — industry mean, with cradle-to-gate boundary unless otherwise noted. Embodied carbon for any specific product depends on supplier mix, recycled content, and energy grid; verify against a primary source before using these numbers in a sustainability claim.
  • recyclabilitymoderate to high — mechanical reclaim (shoddy) common in industry; biodegradable if untreated; mothproofing chemicals (permethrin) limit some end-of-life paths
  • biodegradableTrue
  • certificationsRWS (Responsible Wool Standard), ZQ Merino, GOTS (organic)
  • localityAustralia (Merino), New Zealand, UK, Argentina, US
visual
matte to slightly lustrous in worsted, accepts deep dye, retains color long
tactile
warm, springy, slightly itchy below 24 µm fiber diameter (Merino fine grades resolve this)
weight perception
moderate to heavy (suiting 270–360 g/m²)
acoustic
soft swish; no crackle

PBR starter values

Principled BSDF defaults derived from the sphere fibrous finish. Reasonable seed for Blender, Substance, Keyshot, Rhino — tune per material.

# finish:      fibrous
albedo        #888078
metallic      0.00
roughness     0.70
ior           1.45
transmission  0.00
clearcoat     0.00
sheen         0.70
anisotropic   0.50
copy as JSON 
{
  "albedo": "#888078",
  "metallic": 0.0,
  "roughness": 0.7,
  "ior": 1.45,
  "transmission": 0.0,
  "clearcoat": 0.0,
  "sheen": 0.7,
  "anisotropic": 0.5
}
Blender 4.x Python 
# Blender 4.x — Principled BSDF
# Worsted Wool · finish: fibrous
import bpy
mat = bpy.data.materials.new(name="mat_wool_worsted")
mat.use_nodes = True
bsdf = mat.node_tree.nodes["Principled BSDF"]
bsdf.inputs["Base Color"].default_value         = (0.2462, 0.2159, 0.1878, 1.0)
bsdf.inputs["Metallic"].default_value           = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Roughness"].default_value          = 0.700
bsdf.inputs["IOR"].default_value                = 1.450
bsdf.inputs["Transmission Weight"].default_value = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Coat Weight"].default_value        = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Sheen Weight"].default_value       = 0.700
bsdf.inputs["Anisotropic"].default_value        = 0.500
KeyShot Python (lux) 
# KeyShot 11+ — lux Python API, Generic material
# Worsted Wool · finish: fibrous
# Run from Window → Scripting Console
import lux
mat = lux.createMaterial(name="mat_wool_worsted", materialType="Generic")
mat.setProperty("diffuse",      (136, 128, 120))   # 8-bit sRGB
mat.setProperty("metallic",     0.000)
mat.setProperty("roughness",    0.700)
mat.setProperty("indexOfRefraction", 1.450)
mat.setProperty("transparency", 0.000)
mat.setProperty("coatingWeight", 0.000)
Substance pbrMetalRough 
{
  "_format": "Substance Designer / Painter \u2014 pbrMetalRough constants",
  "_about": "Worsted Wool \u00b7 finish: fibrous",
  "baseColor": {
    "r": 0.2462,
    "g": 0.2159,
    "b": 0.1878
  },
  "metallic": 0.0,
  "roughness": 0.7,
  "ior": 1.45,
  "opacity": 1.0,
  "anisotropyLevel": 0.5,
  "_notes": "Channels listed are the standard Substance pbrMetalRough output. Drop into a Uniform Color node per channel, or as the constant input on a layered stack."
}
glTF 2.0 Metallic-Roughness 
{
  "asset": {
    "version": "2.0",
    "generator": "ForMatter"
  },
  "materials": [
    {
      "name": "mat_wool_worsted",
      "pbrMetallicRoughness": {
        "baseColorFactor": [
          0.2462,
          0.2159,
          0.1878,
          1.0
        ],
        "metallicFactor": 0.0,
        "roughnessFactor": 0.7
      },
      "extensions": {
        "KHR_materials_ior": {
          "ior": 1.45
        },
        "KHR_materials_sheen": {
          "sheenColorFactor": [
            1.0,
            1.0,
            1.0
          ],
          "sheenRoughnessFactor": 0.7
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
USD Preview Surface 
# USD Preview Surface — UsdShade.MaterialLook prim attributes
# Worsted Wool · finish: fibrous
def Material "mat_wool_worsted" {
    token outputs:surface.connect = </mat_wool_worsted/PreviewSurface.outputs:surface>

    def Shader "PreviewSurface" {
        uniform token info:id = "UsdPreviewSurface"
        color3f inputs:diffuseColor = (0.2462, 0.2159, 0.1878)
        float   inputs:metallic     = 0.000
        float   inputs:roughness    = 0.700
        float   inputs:ior          = 1.450
        float   inputs:opacity      = 1.000
        float   inputs:clearcoat    = 0.000
        token   outputs:surface
    }
}
↓ download glTF material
ProcessLaser Cutting
Used inChair
Substitutes
Woven Cotton (Plain Weave)
Industrial Wool Felt

Citations