LOW-QUALITY WOOL AS A SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL: A BIBLIOMETRIC REVIEW

Abstract

From the 1990s onward, in the textile industry, wool began to be replaced by synthetic fibers, which hindered its commercialization. As a result, wool, especially low-quality wool, became a problem in sheep production, since its sale rarely covers shearing costs and there are few applications capable of absorbing the entire production. In this context, wool came to be considered a residue with potential environmental impact. Thus, various uses for low-quality wool have been proposed, such as composting or construction. The present study aimed to characterize the international scientific production on the sustainable use of low-quality sheep wool, identifying the main authors, countries, and themes addressed. To this end, a bibliometric analysis was conducted using data from the Web of Science database and VOSviewer. The results revealed that most research is concentrated in countries such as Italy, Poland, Malaysia, and China, with emphasis on areas such as civil engineering, agriculture, biotechnology, and bioenergy. The keyword co-occurrence analysis highlighted a strong emphasis on topics such as sustainability, thermal insulation, adsorption, mechanical properties, and biosorption, underscoring the subject's multidisciplinary nature. In the Brazilian context, studies published on alternative uses of low-quality wool are still incipient in the literature.