AS4480.1

AS4480.1

Posted by Down-Under Wool on 15th Sep 2022

AS4480.1 is the Australian Standard (AS) for Australian Medical Sheepskin. Any sheepskin with the AS stamp on the back has met the Australian Standard for Medical Sheepskins. This is your guarantee that the sheepskin has therapeutic value and will help to prevent Pressure Sores, Bedsores and Decubitus Ulcers.

To meet the AS4480.1 standard, a sheepskin must have the following:

  1. Wool specifications:
  • fiber diameter from 26 - 34 microns
  • pile height should be minimum of 25 mm in a washed state
  • uniform wool-pile density- visual appearance
  • wool dye color - green- specified by the Pantone Matching System
  • wool dye fastness

   2. Leather Specifications:

  • Degree of tannage: HiTemp - means that the sheepskin has a minimum shrinkage temperature of 110 degrees Celsius  ie washing water temperatures below that will not cause shrinking of the leather.
  • Maintenance of shrinkage temperature following washing & drying. Shrinkage temperature shall not decrease by more than 5 degrees  Celsius after five appropriate wash and dry cycles.

Some chemicals routinely used in laundries are detrimental to medical sheepskin leather. The following should never be used for laundering Australian Medical Sheepskins and Australian Medical Sheepskin Products:

  • Enzymes
  • Phosphates
  • Peroxide
  • Alkali
  • Bleach
  • Triethanolamine
  • Sequestering Agents
  • Wool-Lite

As a result of the AS being established, a cleaning and conditioning agent was developed. This product was developed by Tantech and is marketed as Woolskin. Woolskin is a cleaning and conditioning agent, developed specifically for the laundering of Australian Medical Sheepskin. Washing and disinfection of washable sheepskin is now possible with the use of Woolskin and is recommended by Down-Under Wool.

Standards Australia established the criteria that must be met before the compliance label is fixed on the leather. This label guarantees that the tanners have complied with the Australian Standard AS4480.1 

        

The green colour of the wool and the AS4480.1 stamp on the back of the product is your guarantee of quality and efficacy.

  

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