The identification of common fibers is comparatively easy as they have diverse physical and chemical properties. To identify the fibers different types of tests are performed such as solubility, burning test, staining test, and swelling test, microscopical tests etc.

1. Mary Help College
Course name: Identify Textile
Fibers and fabrics
By; Mezgebu Tesfaye
Topic : Fiber Identification
Feb 2024
Level two fashion design student

2. Identification of fiber is a process to determine the composition of
a textile materials.
2
It is very important in textile sector for dyeing, printing, finishing
and caring the textile materials.
Introduction

3. Fiber identification method
3
test
test
Non-technical method Technical method
Feeling test Burn test Microscope Chemical

4. FEELING TEST
4
It is based on the handling properties and do not
give accurate result because handling properties
can be changed due to applying finishing
chemical.

5. As example cotton gives cooling feel in
touch where wool fiber gives warm feel.
5

6. BURN TEST
6
Different fiber shows different
burning behavior. But it is difficult to
identify fiber when it is blended yarn
or fabric.

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.
7

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

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.
9

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.
10

11. MICROSCOPE TEST
11
shape of spinneret.
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

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.
12

13. MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE OF WOOL
13
Longitudinal view Cross-sectional
view
Irregular, roughly Oval to
cylindrical multi-cellular circular shape
structure. Outer layer with variation
consists of scales in diameter.
pointing towards the tip
of the fibers.

14. MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE OF SILK
14
Longitudinal
view
Cross-sectional
view
Irregular elliptical
ribbons and rod
like structure.
Triangular with
rounded corners.

15. MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE OF JUTE
15
Longitudinal
view
Cross-sectional
view
Crosswise A small central
marks known as
nodes or joints.
canal similar to the
lumen in cotton and
polygonal with
rounded edges.

16. MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE OF LINEN
16
Cross-sectional view Longitudinal view
Longitudinal
view
Cross-sectional
view
Looks like Multiple sided
bamboo stick cylindrical
having joints in filaments with
interval. fine pointed
edges.

17. MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE OF RAYON
17
Longitudinal
view
Cross-sectional
view
Uniform diameter Differ in cross-
with striations sectional view
running parallel to according to
the fiber axis. manufacturing
process.

18. MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE OF ACETATE
18
Longitudinal
view
Cross-sectional
view
Striation and no
cross markings in
length direction.
Like clover leaf.

19. CHEMICAL TEST
19
Chemical test gives the most accurate result than other
identification method.
Chemical test is divided into two class:-
1. Stain method
2. Solvent method

20. STAIN METHOD
20
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.

21. SOLVENT METHOD
21
Different solvents
are used
method and
in this
fiber
can be distinguished
for their different
behavior in different
solvent.

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 yellowish22

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

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.
24

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