Method and apparatus for manufacturing a staple fiber based on natural protein fiber, a raw wool based on the staple fiber, a fibrous yarn made of the staple fiber, a non-woven material made of the staple fiber and an item comprising the staple fiber.

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments describe a method for manufacturing a staple fiber based on natural protein fiber. The method may include: providing a protein suspension, the protein suspension comprising fibrils of the natural protein fiber; directing the protein suspension through a nozzle onto a surface for forming a protein based fiber; drying the protein suspension on the surface; extracting the fiber from the surface; and providing the staple fiber. Disclosed embodiments may further describe a fiber based raw wool. The raw wool may include staple fibers, wherein the staple fibers are reconstructed on the basis of protein fibrils and are mechanically subdivided from natural protein fibers, wherein the protein fibrils are interlocked by hydrogen bonds, and wherein the raw wool comprises an unoriented, entangled, fluffy network of staple fibers.

1 . - 48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . A method for manufacturing a staple fiber based on natural protein fiber, the method comprising:
 providing a protein suspension, the protein suspension comprising fibrils of the natural protein fiber;   directing the protein suspension through a nozzle onto a surface for forming a protein based fiber;   drying the protein suspension on the surface;   extracting the fiber from the surface; and   providing the staple fiber.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the natural protein fibers comprise collagen fibers. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the natural protein fibrils are mechanically divided from a source of natural protein fibers. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the protein suspension exits the nozzle in at least one of a round of elliptic cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein drying the protein suspension on the surface comprises drying via at least one of: radiation, blowing, and conduction. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the surface comprises a hydrophobic external surface. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 49 , further comprising applying at least one of oil and wax to the surface. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the protein suspension is dried on the surface to a dry concentration of at least 70% by weight for forming a fiber, and wherein the weight percent is given with reference to the weight of the formed and dried fiber. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the staple fiber has a length of 6-80 mm. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the staple fiber has a length of 40-60 mm. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 49 , further comprising combining the staple fibers into a raw wool. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59 , further comprising processing the raw wool to form at least one of: a yarn strand and a non-woven material. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 59 , further comprising:
 processing the raw wool into a pre-yarn; and   spinning the pre-yarn into a yarn.   
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 49 , further comprising processing the raw wool into a non-woven material. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the suspension comprises collagen fibrils of natural fiber, and wherein the collagen content of the suspension is more than 50% of the total weight of natural protein fiber fibrils in the suspension. 
     
     
         64 . A fiber based raw wool, the raw wool comprising staple fibers,
 wherein the staple fibers are reconstructed on the basis of protein fibrils and are mechanically subdivided from natural protein fibers,   wherein the protein fibrils are interlocked by hydrogen bonds, and   wherein the raw wool comprises an unoriented, entangled, fluffy network of staple fibers.   
     
     
         65 . The wool of  claim 64 , wherein the staple fibers have a length of 6-80 mm. 
     
     
         66 . The wool of  claim 64 , wherein the staple fibers have a length of 40-60 mm. 
     
     
         67 . The wool of  claim 64 , wherein the wool has at least one of: a staple fiber yarn count of 1-20 dtex; a staple fiber diameter of 15-70 μm; a staple fiber tensile strength of 15-25 cN/tex; and elongation at break of 5-15%. 
     
     
         68 . The wool of  claim 64 , wherein the natural protein fibers comprise collagen fibers. 
     
     
         69 . The wool of  claim 64 , wherein the natural protein fibrils comprise collagen fibrils obtained from natural collagen fibers.