This presentation discusses methods for identifying textile fibers, including non-technical and technical methods. Non-technical methods include feeling and burn tests, which can provide preliminary identification but are not always accurate. Technical methods like microscope and chemical tests provide more definitive results. Microscope tests examine fiber characteristics like cross-sectional shape. Chemical tests use solvents and stains to determine how fibers react; for example, cotton dissolves in sulfuric acid while linen is unaffected. Accurately identifying fibers is important for textile dyeing, printing, finishing and care.

1. WELCOME TO OUR PRESENTATION ON
TEXTILE FIBER IDENTIFICATION
Presented by
Fuad Ahmed
Department: Textile Engineering
DUET
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2. Identification of fiber is a process to determine the composition of
a textile materials.
It is very important in textile sector for dyeing, printing, finishing
and caring the textile materials.
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3. Fiber identification method
Non-technical method Technical method
Feeling test Burn test Microscope
test
Chemical
test 3
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4. FEELING TEST
It is based on the handling properties and do not
give accurate result because handling properties
can be changed due to applying finishing
chemical.
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5. As example cotton gives cooling feel in
touch where wool fiber gives warm feel.
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6. BURN TEST
Different fiber shows different
burning behavior. But it is difficult to
identify fiber when it is blended yarn
or fabric.
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7. BURNING BEHAVIOR OF SOME NATURAL
FIBER
Fiber Name Approaching
flame
In Flame Removed
From Flame
Odor Residue/Ash
Cotton Scorches,
Ignites
readily.
Burns quickly
with yellow
flame.
Continues to
burn rapidly.
Burning
paper.
Light, soft,
grey in color.
Black ash for
mercerized
cotton.
Linen Scorches,
Ignites readily
Burns with
yellow flame
and slower
burning rate
than cotton.
Continues to
burn slowly.
Burning
paper.
Feathery grey
ash.
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8. BURNING BEHAVIOR OF SOME NATURAL
FIBER
Fiber Name Approaching
flame
In Flame Removed
From Flame
Odor Residue/Ash
Wool Melts and
curls away
from flame.
Burns slowly. Self
extinguishing.
Burning hair. Easily
crushable
dark ash.
Silk Melts and
curls away
from flame.
Burns and
melts slowly,
sputters.
Self
extinguishing.
Burning hair. Easily
crushable,
round, shiny
black ash.
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9. BURNING BEHAVIOR OF SOME
SYNTHETIC FIBER
Fiber
Name
Approaching
flame
In Flame Removed
From Flame
Odor Residue/Ash
Polyester Fuses and
shrinks away
from flame.
Burns slowly
with melting.
Burns with
difficulty.
Slightly
sweetish.
Hard, round,
brittle black
bead.
Nylon Fuses and
shrinks away
from flame.
Burns slowly
with melting.
Self-
extinguishing.
Amine Hard, round,
tough, grey bead.
Glass No effect Not burn. Become
harder.
No Hardens to glass.
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10. BURNING BEHAVIOR OF SOME
SYNTHETIC FIBER
Fiber Name Approaching
flame
In Flame Removed
From Flame
Odor Residue/Ash
Acrylic Fuses and
shrinks away
from flame.
Burns rapidly
without flame,
sputtering,
melts.
Continues to
burn and melt.
Slightly like
burning meat.
Brittle, hard,
irregular black
bead.
Acetate Fuses away
from flame
and turn back.
Burns quickly. Continues to
burn and melt.
Vinegar or
acetic acid.
Hard,
irregular black
ash.
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11. MICROSCOPE TEST
Microscope test is
mostly effective for
natural fiber but not
for synthetic fiber
cause the cross-
section of synthetic
fiber is not fixed
and depend on the
shape of spinneret. 11
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12. MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE OF COTTON
Cross-sectional Longitudinal view
view
Longitudinal
view
Cross-sectional
view
Collapsed,
spirally twisted
tube with rough
surface.
Normally kidney-
bean shape.
Mercerized cotton
round shape.
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13. MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE OF WOOL
Longitudinal view Cross-sectional
view
Irregular, roughly
cylindrical multi-cellular
structure. Outer layer
consists of scales
pointing towards the tip
of the fibers.
Oval to
circular shape
with variation
in diameter.
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14. MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE OF SILK
Longitudinal
view
Cross-sectional
view
Irregular elliptical
ribbons and rod
like structure.
Triangular with
rounded corners.
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15. MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE OF JUTE
Longitudinal
view
Cross-sectional
view
Crosswise
marks known as
nodes or joints.
A small central
canal similar to the
lumen in cotton and
polygonal with
rounded edges.
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16. MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE OF LINEN
Cross-sectional view Longitudinal view
Longitudinal
view
Cross-sectional
view
Looks like
bamboo stick
having joints in
interval.
Multiple sided
cylindrical
filaments with
fine pointed
edges.
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17. MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE OF RAYON
Longitudinal
view
Cross-sectional
view
Uniform diameter
with striations
running parallel to
the fiber axis.
Differ in cross-
sectional view
according to
manufacturing
process.
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18. MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE OF ACETATE
Longitudinal
view
Cross-sectional
view
Striation and no
cross markings in
length direction.
Like clover leaf.
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19. CHEMICAL TEST
Chemical test gives the most accurate result than other
identification method.
Chemical test is divided into two class:-
1. Stain method
2. Solvent method
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20. STAIN METHOD
Stain method is applicable for those fiber which
shows special behavior in acid and alkali.
As example, Acetate fiber changes to light green and
orange color when acetic acid and sodium carbonate
is used respectively.
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21. SOLVENT METHOD
Different solvents
are used in this
method and fiber
can be distinguished
for their different
behavior in different
solvent.
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22. SOLVENT METHOD
Fiber type Solvent Identification of fiber
Vegetable
+
Animal
Acid Vegetable fiber destroyed
Alkali Animal fiber destroyed
Cotton
+
Linen
Sulfuric acid and weak
ammonia.
Cotton dissolved and
linen unaffected.
Iodine and zinc chloride. Cotton stained reddish
purple and linen stained
blue to purple.
Caustic Soda (NaOH) Cotton remains white and
linen turns to yellowish.22
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23. SOLVENT METHOD (CONTINUE)
Fiber type Solvent Identification of fiber
Silk
+
Wool
Concentrated cold
hydrochloric
(HCl) acid.
Silk will dissolved in the
solvent
Wool fiber become swell.
Viscose
Rayon
+
Acetate
Sulfuric acid and
equal amount
iodine.
Dark-blue color indicates
viscose rayon.
Yellow color indicates
acetate. 23
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24. SOLVENT METHOD (CONTINUE)
Fiber type Solvent Identification of fiber
Di-acetate
+
Tri-acetate /
Modacrylic
80 % Acetone Di-acetate will dissolve.
Tri-acetate / Modacrylic will not
dissolve.
Nylon
+
Acetate
Acetone Acetate will dissolve.
Nylon will not dissolve.
Nylon
+
Wool
Boiling
solution of
NaOH
Wool will dissolve.
Nylon will not dissolve.
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25. SOLVENT METHOD (CONTINUE)
Fiber type Solvent Identification of fiber
Polyester
+
Other fiber
Hot metacresol /
Acetone / Formic
acid
Polyester, acetate, nylon soluble
in hot metacresol.
Acetate soluble in acetone but
not polyester.
Nylon soluble in formic acid but
not polyester.
Acrylic
+
Other fiber
70 % solution of
Ammonium
thiocyanate.
Acrylic will dissolve but cotton,
wool, silk, rayon, acetate, nylon,
polyester will not dissolve.
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26. THANKS TO ALL
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