A Modular Modeling Approach for Investigating Wool Critical Buckling from Biologically Variable Along-Fiber Microstructure

The study introduced a modular modeling approach to investigate how the microstructural organization of mammalian hair fibers affects their macroscopic properties, specifically focusing on critical buckling load. Using a numerical approach, the model analyzed fibers composed of serial cross-sections at 25 micrometer intervals. The model was applied to assess the impact of changes in microstructural properties such as fiber ellipticity, cortical cell type distribution, and cell type proportion on critical buckling load, particularly in the context of prickle. The study also discussed potential applications and highlighted gaps in the current understanding of wool fiber morphology and biophysics.