This document discusses different methods for identifying fibres, including feeling, burning, solubility, and microscopic tests. It provides details on how natural fibres like cotton, silk, wool, and rayon behave under burning tests, producing different flame colors and odors and leaving distinctive ash residues. The document also notes limitations of solubility tests due to blended fabrics and limitations of microscopic analysis for some man-made fibres and dark colors. Microscopic identification looks at fibre structure under longitudinal and cross-sectional views to distinguish features of cotton, wool, silk, and polyester.

1. By:
Mrs.R.Subha, M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor of Home Science
IDENTIFICATION OF
FIBRES

2. FIBRE
A "fibre" is defined as any product capable of being
woven or otherwise made into a fabric.

3. TYPES OF FIBRE
FIBRE
NATURAL FIBRE
VEGETABLE FIBRE
(cotton, sisal, hemp,
bamboo)
ANIMAL FIBRE
(wool, silk)
MINERAL FIBRE
(asbestos, glass, metal,
basalt)
MAN MADE FIBRE
(Synthetic Fibre)
(Polyester, Aramid,
Acrylic, Nylon,
Spandex, Olefin, Ingeo,
Lurex)

4. FIBRE IDENTIFICATION
METHODS
Types of fibre can be identified by using
different methods which are listed below,
• Feeling Test
• Burning Test
• Solubility Test
• Microscopic Test

5. FEELING TEST
 It is a subjective test.
 Special skill in handling many different fabrics over a
period of time is required.
 It perform depends upon individual perception.
Example,
o Wool – While touching, feeling warmth in fingers
o Linen or rayon – Feels cold to touch
o Cotton – Soft, Inelastic, Cold

6. BURNING
TEST

7. BURN TEST FOR COTTON
Flame: Burning Quickly, orange/yellow flame
Odor: paper burning like odor
Residue: Light and feathery gray ash, ash is black
if mercerized
Approaching Flame: Does not shrink away,
Scorches, ignites quickly
Removed From Flame: Continues to burn rapidly
has afterglow
Ash: After burning it’s converting into ashes gray
or black powder

8. BURN TEST FOR SILK
Flame: When we burn silk it’s create orange flame, burns
slowly, sputters.
Odor: Hair burning like odor
Action: Burns
Residue: Gray and white powder Round shiny black bead
easy to crush
Approaching Flame: smolder and curls away from flame
Removed From Flame: burn with difficulty, cease to
flame
Ash: After burning it’s converting black ashes

9. BURN TEST FOR WOOL
Flame: Burning slowly with small flickering flame, sizzle and
curl, orange /Sputters flame
Odor: hair burning like odor
Action: Burns
Residue: Black bead of ash which crushes easily when cold
Crisp, dark ash, round irregular bead, easy to crush
Approaching Flame: Smolder and curls away from flame,
ignites slowly
Removed From Flame: Ceases to flame
Ash: After burning it’s converting into black ashes /crumbles

10. BURN TEST FOR RAYON
Flame: Yellow orange flame, burns evenly,
does not smolder, no smoke Burn more quickly
compare to cotton
Odor: The burning smell like a burning leaves
or paper
Residue: Light and feathery gray ash
Approaching Flame: Scorches, ignite quickly
Removed From Flame: Continues to burn
rapidly has no afterglow
Ash: Leaves only a slight ash

11. BURNING TEST

12. SOLUBILITY TEST
 This method of identification is difficult as fibers
that are chemically similar have been developed
more fibers are blended and mixed fabrics.
 There is no individual solvent or chemical
identification for each fibre.
 There is no single solvent procedure for separating
and identifying fibers in combinations.

13. MICROSCOPIC TEST
 More accurate for natural fibres.
 Can be viewed with a magnification of atleast 100
power.
 It is difficult for man made fibres to get identified
under this method because some are very similar.
 Certain finishing process can affect the appearance
of fibre under the microscope.
 Very dark colored fabrics cannot be identified
under microscope.

14. Microscopic identification of
Cotton
Longitudinal View
 Mature flat and ribbon-like with convolutions,
thick wall and small lumen
 Immature very thin wall and a large lumen with
few convolutions
 Dead very thin and almost transparent
 Mercerized smooth and cylindrical, fewer
convolutions and lumen or sometimes may be absent
Cross-Sectional View
 Kidney Shaped
 Elliptical
 Very thin like a strip
 Nearly round or circular

15. Microscopic identification of Wool
 Longitudinal View
Cylindrical, irregular, rough surface,
scale-like structure, dark medulla
may appear on coarse wool fibres
 Cross-Sectional View
Nearly round or circular, medulla
may appear

16. Microscopic identification of Silk
 Longitudinal View
Smooth surface, Structure less,
triangular shaped transparent rod
(Wild silk/Tussah silk – broader fibre
with fine, longitudinal lines passing
across filament)
 Cross-Sectional View
Triangular shape with rounded
corners(Tussah silk flat wedge or
spindle-shaped

17. Microscopic identification of
Polyester
 Longitudinal View
Structureless, uniform diameter,
rod-like appearance
 Cross-Sectional View
Circular

18. THANK YOU