This brochure describes the various analytical instruments available in the fibre research lab at Bahir Dar University's Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology. It outlines 9 different instruments: FTIR, TGA, DSC, DMA, double beam AAS, flame photometry, FAVIMAT, scanning mini SPEC, and Leica biological microscope. For each instrument, it provides a brief definition and description of its applications in analyzing properties of fibers, fabrics, soils, foods, and other materials.

1. BAHIR DAR UNIVERSITY
ETHIOPIAN INSTITUTE OF TEXTILE AND
FASHION TECHNOLOGY (EiTEX)
Fibre research lab Brochure
1. FTIR
Principles
FT-IR stands for Fourier Transform Infrared, the
preferred method of infrared spectroscopy. In infrared
spectroscopy, IR radiation is passed through a sample.
Some of the infrared radiation is absorbed by the sample
and some of it is passed through (transmitted). The
resulting spectrum represents the molecular absorption
and transmission, creating a molecular fingerprint of the
sample. Like a fingerprint no two unique molecular
structures produce the same infrared spectrum. This
makes infrared spectroscopy useful for several types of
analysis.
So, what information can FT-IR provide?
• It can identify unknown materials
• It can determine the quality or consistency of a sample
• It can determine the amount of components in a
mixture
2. TGA
Definition: Thermogravimetric Analysis is a technique in
which the mass of a substance is monitored as a function
of temperature or time as the sample specimen is
subjected to a controlled temperature program in a
controlled atmosphere.
An Alternate Definition: TGA is a technique in which,
upon heating a material, its weight increases or
decreases. A Simple TGA Concept to remember: TGA
measures a sample’s weight as it is heated or cooled in a
furnace.
Thermogravimetric analysis application areas: Sample
volatility, moisture content, loss on drying, oxidation
stability, decomposition temperatures, filler content
carbon black content, performance of stabilizers, ash
content, catalyst and coking efficiency, product stability,
out-gas analysis and flammability Studies.
3. DSC
What is DSC?
Differential Scanning Calorimetry, or DSC, is a thermal
analysis technique that looks at how a material’s heat
capacity (Cp) is changed by temperature. A sample of
known mass is heated or cooled and the changes in its
heat capacity are tracked as changes in the heat flow.
This allows the detection of transitions such as melts,
glass transitions, phase changes, and curing. Because of
this flexibility, since most materials exhibit some sort of
transitions, DSC is used in many industries, including
pharmaceuticals, polymers, food, paper, printing,
manufacturing, agriculture, semiconductors, and
electronics.
Indust
ry
Transit
ions
Purpose
Polym
ers
Tg Indicator of material properties,QC,effect
of additives
Tm Polymers processing, heat history
Exothe
rm
Reactions rate, curing of materials,
residual cure
Cp Energy needed to process
Tc Recrystalization times, kinetics
Phar
macu
etstic
al
Tg Collapse or storage temperature,
amorphous content
Cp Processing conditions
Tm Polymorphic conditions
Food
Tg Storage temperature, properties
Tm Processing temperature
1. 4. DMA
Mechanical analysis techniques in thermal analysis allow
the measurement of transition by tracking changes in
the physical properties of materials such as coefficient of
thermal expansion, stiffness, modulus, and damping.
PerkinElmer offers solutions in both thermo mechanical
analysis (TMA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA).
Dynamical Mechanical Analysis (DMA) is a very
important tool in the modern polymer laboratory
despite the fact that only a few books have concentrated
on this technique.

2. Applications
 Moisture induced phase transitions,
 Moisture sensitive materials like paper,
natural fibers, and food products,
 Swelling, shrinking and stiffness changes as
humidity Changes,
 Plasticizing and Tg effects as seen in nylon
and polyurethanes.
5. DOUBLE BEAM AAS
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy entails the
determination of the absorption of the element at its
line center by using a narrow-line source emitting the
given resonance line, whose emission line profile is less
than the absorption line profile of its analyte in the
flame
APPLICATIONS
For analysis in various metallic constituents in
Soil, Fertilizers, Micro Nutrients, Plants, Pesticides,
Foods, Water, Biological Matter, Metallurgy, Plating,
Coal, Petrochemicals, Glass, Cement, Steel and other
Industries.
Examples
1. Determination of phosphate, sulphate
2. Analysis of synthetic fibres: determination of
gold
3. Analysis of wool, polypropylene, textiles, etc…
6. FLAME PHOTOMETRY
Flame photometry relies upon the fact that the
compounds of the alkali and alkaline earth metals can be
thermally dissociated in a flame and that some of the
atoms produced will be further excited to a higher
energy level.
Applications
The followings are some the applications of flame
photometer.
 1 Determination of alkalis in cement
 2. Determination of calcium in beer
 Calcium in biological fluids
 Estimation of calcium in milk
 Determination of potassium in fertilizers
 Determination of potassium in plant material
 Determination of available potassium in soils
 Sodium and potassium in silicates, minerals and
ores
 Determination of sodium in raw pine oil
 Determination of exchangeable sodium in soils
 The flame photometric determination of sulphate
 The determination of sodium in fuel oil
7. FAVIMAT
The design of the FAVIMAT+ takes into account any
needs to combine single-fibre linear-density
measurements and tensile tests with different crimp test
methods into a single testing instrument. All of these
tests are carried out on the same fibre section.
Transferring the fibre from one testing device to another
is, therefore, no longer necessary. This results in a
significant reduction in both operator input and
expenditure as well as a reduction in possible fibre
damage when compared to multiple measurements
carried out on alternative independent devices.
Testing methods/applications
 Measurement of linear density with the vibration
method
 Static tensile test, cyclic load testing, creep- and
relaxation trials
 Measurement of mechanical crimp properties
 Crimp number and -geometry measurement
 Friction testing
 Fibre strength and elastic recovery
8. Scanning mini SPEC
Scanning Visible Spectrophotometer Covering Near UV -
VISIBLE & NEAR IR SPECTRUM. Microprocessor based
with Printer Interface. Stable Single Beam Optics.
Compact, Modular & Ergonomically Engineered.
Motorized 4 Position Cuvette Holders for 10 mm Path
length Cuvettes. Automatic Position of Sample Holder.
User Friendly & Menu Driven.
 Applications
In determination of
 Nutrients like N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Zn, B, Mo etc., in
Agricultural Soil, Plant etc.
 Organic Compounds in Biological matter.
 Glucose, Fructose, Carbohydrates, Proteins etc., in
Foods.
 Edible dyes, alcohols etc., in Beverages.
 Purity of constituents in Pharmaceuticals.
 Toxic elements Cd, Pb, Hg etc., in Effluents.
 Constituents in compositions used in Metallurgy,
Fertilizer, Pesticide, Chemical, Petro Chemical, Steel,
Cement, Glass & Other Industries.
 Biological Samples.
9. Leica Biological microscope
Microscopy is largely used for examination of particular
features of textile fibre structure. Microscopy is under
stood the method of examining the morphology of fibres
by means of light, electron or other microscopic features
for observing them in magnified state. It is a technical
fibre characterization method.
Application of Leica biological microscope
 High quality and accuracy microscope
 Recommended for the longitudinal and sectional
analysis of fibres
 Check the purchased material and identify the type
of fibre, comparing to fibre pictures stored to the
data bank ,with both longitudinal and cross-
sectional view
 can analyse the yarn structure, defects etc
 Analyse mechanical parts like spinneret and needle