Characterization of Non-Angora (´Creole Hairy´) Goat´s Fiber from the Northern Patagonia Area of Argentina. Potential Textile use as Patagonian Cashmere/h2>

The fiber produced by the regional Creole goat from the northern area of Patagonia is little known, both within the Country and in the international market. The objective of this work is to characterize the textile quality of this goat fiber in relation to similar fibers coming from other parts of the world, and validate its textile potential use named us Patagonian cashmere. Samples from 4 different zones were analyzed and classified by morphological types such as long cashmere (CA), short cashmere (CC), intermediate cashmere (CI), cashgora (CG) and lustre (L). In turn, the average diameter of the fine fiber was determined and 3 types were classified by fineness: H (<16.5µm), W (16.6-18.6µm) and S (>18.6µm). Frequencies were established and compared by contingency tables. The most significant types are CA with respect to all, CG and CI are not different from each other, but different from the rest and CC and L have the lower frequency. The significantly more frequent fineness is S and there are no significant frequency differences between H and W. The diameter distribution profiles allow us to infer that the fibre examined in this study corresponds to 40% of the type known as cashmere in the international market. The rest of the fibre studied has a diameter slightly coarser than 19µm, but also shows an important textile potential, due to its softness and by being predominantly white in colour.