This specification for fineness is intended as a guide for production, preparation, and marketing (Note 1) by comparing the average fiber diameter of a measured specimen with the fineness specifications for the various types listed in Table 1. The standard deviation which expresses measured variability of a specimen may be compared with the average shown in Table X2.1.

Note 1-Test Method D 2130 does not include any values for the precision to be expected in the testing of alpaca fibers. In an interlaboratory test in which six laboratories each made one test on each of six type samples, HTB-CB, HAXB-CB, HAAB-CB, HAB-CB, HLPB-CL, and HSKB-CL, the coefficient of variation of the average fiber diameters between laboratories, including test variation, was 3.2, 4.7, 3.8, 4.5, 2.2, and 0.93 % for the respective alpaca types.

TABLE 1 Fineness Specifications for Types of Alpaca

This specification is applicable in the classification of alpaca into types according to fineness. Five types of alpaca have been classified according to its average diameter limit, namely Type T Extra, Type T, Type X, Type AA, Type A, Type SK, and Type LP.