Unit Criminalistics

Module Textiles and Fibers

FORE3-FCT Forensic chemistry and Toxicology Units: 3.0 P age |1

INFORMATION SHEET MD-4.1.1

TEXTILE FIBERS

Textile fibers are “common” in that textiles permeate the modern world in clothing, buildings,
and vehicles. Each person has a personal textile environment of clothing, cars, upholstery, things
contacted, and people encountered. Textiles constantly shed fibers and these transfer to other people,
places, and things. Some textiles are better at shedding fibers – typically loosely woven or knitted textiles
– than others, like a tightly woven dress shirt. Textiles, also differentially retain fibers depending on their
construction, use, and other factors, such as how often they are cleaned.

Normally, any text on fiber examination starts with fibers, the basic units of a textile, and works its
way up to fabrics and garments. These macro-level objects, however, are what we encountered in our
daily lives as evidence and only through specific methods of collection and detection are fibers ever
discovered and deciphered. More attention is paid to the examination of fibers than to fabrics or, more
broadly, textiles, to the detriment of both the examiner and the examination. Some fabrics shed more
fibers than others did and this shed ability to the detrime the detriment of both the examiner and the
examination. Some fabrics shed more fibers of how fibers become textiles leads to a better understanding
of what the fibers themselves actually mean.

Textile fibers- fibers that can be converted into yarns.

Yarn- made of fibers, which have been twisted together, linked thread.

CLASSIFICATION OF TEXTILE FIBERS

TWO DIVISIONS OF FIBER:

1. Natural fiber- a fiber produced naturally and harvested from animal, plant or mineral
resources.
2. Synthetic or artificial fiber- made from a man-made substance such as plastic.

THREE SUBDIVISIONS OF NATURAL FIBERS:

1. Vegetable fibers - made of CELLULOSE. Examples are seed. Stem barks or bast fibers, leaf
fibers, cotton, woody fibers, fruit or nut fibers.
CELLULOSE- is a polymer that is made up of simple glucose units,
and is not protein.

- Proteins and cellulose have very different chemical and physical

properties that allow a forensic scientist to tell the difference
pf animal fibers from plant fibers

- Cellulose can absorb water but insoluble (will not dissolve) in

water.
SUBJECT TEACHER: APPROVED FOR IMPLEMENTATION:
st rd
WEEK 1 –3
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4 Meeting MS. ELENA MAE CORONEL MR. WILBERT A. MAÑUSCA
Subject Teacher School Director
 Unit Criminalistics
Module Textiles and Fibers
FORE3-FCT Forensic chemistry and Toxicology Units: 3.0 P age |2

INFORMATION SHEET MT-9.1.1

TEXTILE FIBERS

Plant fibers are often short, two to five centimeters and

becomes brittle over time. This means that small pieces of fibers
are common as trace evidence at a crime scene.

Seed Fibers- cotton is found in the seedpod of the cotton plant.

Because of the ease with which cotton can be woven and dyed,
it has been used exclusively for clothing and household textiles.

Fruit fibers- Coir is a coarse fiber obtained from the covering

surrounding coconuts. The individual cells of the coir fibers are
narrow, with thick walls made of cellulose. When woven
together, they are stronger than flax or cotton . coir fibers is
relative waterproof, which makes it ideal for such things as
doormats and baskets.

Stem fibers- hemp, jute, and flax are produced from the thick
region of plant stems. Flax is the most common stem fiber and is
most commonly found in textile linen.

2. Animal fibers - made of PROTEIN. Examples are wool, silk, hair.

FUR- a good donor of fibers, but it is not a textile. Commonly used
for coats and gloves.

HAIR FIBERS- most popular in animal fibers. Most common

animal hair used in textiles is wool from sheep.

SILK- usually collected from cocoons of caterpillar called

“Bombyx mori”

3. Mineral fiber – are neither proteins nor cellulose. They may not be long repeating polymers.
Fiberglass is a fiber form of glass. Its fibers are very weak, and brittle. Rolls of fiberglass batting
(layers or sheets of fiberglass) are used to insulate buildings. The fibers are very fine and easily
stick to the skin, causing an itchy skin rash.
-example is asbestos

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st rd
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4 Meeting MS. ELENA MAE CORONEL MR. WILBERT A. MAÑUSCA
Subject Teacher School Director
 Unit Criminalistics
Module Textiles and Fibers
FORE3-FCT Forensic chemistry and Toxicology Units: 3.0 P age |3

TWO KINDS OF SYNTHETIC FIBERS

1. organic fiber
a. Cellulosic (Regenerated Fibers or modified natural fibers)
✓ Derived from cellulose and are mostly plants in origin.
✓ Most common of this type is Rayon, it is a fiber that can
imitate natural fibers and generally smooth and silky in
appearance
✓ Cellulose chemically combined with acetate produces
the fiber Celanese that is used in carpets. When cellulose
is combined with three acetate units, it forms polyamide
nylons, such as Capron; a breathable, lightweight
material, used in high-performance clothing.

b. Non-cellulosic (Synthetic Polymer Fibers) –originate with petroleum products and are
non-cellulose based fibers.
✓ These fibers can have very different characteristics. They
have no definite shape or size, and many, like polyester
maybe easily dyed.
✓ Distinguishing among the synthetic fibers is easy in a
forensic lab, using either polarizing microscope or
infrared spectroscopy.
✓ Synthetic fibers may be very long, or cut and used short.
Their shape is determined by the shape of a spinneret
and may be round, flat, cloverleaf, or even more
complex. However, under magnification all synthetic
fibers have very regular diameters.
✓ They do not have internal structures, but maybe solid or
hollow, twisted and pitted on the surface. Depending on
what is put into mix, they may be clear or translucent.

TYPES OF SYNTHETIC POLYMER FIBERS:

a) POLYESTER-
- A very common synthetic fiber, polyester represents a very large
group of fibers with a common chemical makeup. It is found in
the polar fleece, wrinkle-resistant pants, and is also added to
many natural fibers to provide additional strength.
b) NYLON-
- Nylon has properties similar to polyester, except it is easily
broken down by light and concentrated acid. Polyester is
resistant to both of these agents.

SUBJECT TEACHER: APPROVED FOR IMPLEMENTATION:

st rd
WEEK 1 –3
MIDTERM
4 Meeting MS. ELENA MAE CORONEL MR. WILBERT A. MAÑUSCA
Subject Teacher School Director
 Unit Criminalistics
Module Textiles and Fibers
FORE3-FCT Forensic chemistry and Toxicology Units: 3.0 P age |4

c) ACRYLIC-
- Often found as an artificial wool or imitation fur, acrylic has a
light, fluffy feel. However, acrylic clothing tends to ball or pill
easily. This is an inexpensive fiber.
d) OLEFINS-
- Olefins are used ng high-performance clothing, such as thermal
socks and carpets, because they are very quick drying and
resistant to wear.
2. Inorganic fiber
a. mineral fiber ( examples glass fiber wool, glass rock, and slag wools)
b. metallic fiber ( examples fine wire filament, steel wool, tinsel threads.)

Comparison of Natural and Synthetic Fibers

The synthetic fibers are stronger than the strongest natural fibers. Unlike natural fibers, man-
made fibers are not damaged by micro- organisms. A disadvantage of man-made fibers is that they can
deteriorate in bright sunlight and melt at a lower temperature than the natural fibers.

Fiber Characteristics

• “flattened hose” appearance

Cotton • up to 2 inches long, tapering to a blunt point
• may have a frayed “root”
• hollow core not always visible
• “bamboo stick” appearance
Flax • straight with angles but not very curved
• “nodes” are visible as an X every inch or so
• often occur in bundles of several fibers

• do not taper, yet exhibit small variations in diameter

Silk • may be paired (raw silk) with another fiber
• no internal structures

• surface scales may be visible

Wool • hollow or partially hollow core
• fibers up to 3 inches long tapering to fine point
• vary widely in cross-sectional shape and diameter
Man-made • generally straight to gentle curves
(Synthetic) • very uniform in diameter
• may have surface treatment that appears as spots, stains, or pits

SUBJECT TEACHER: APPROVED FOR IMPLEMENTATION:

st rd
WEEK 1 –3
MIDTERM
4 Meeting MS. ELENA MAE CORONEL MR. WILBERT A. MAÑUSCA
Subject Teacher School Director
 Unit Criminalistics
Module Textiles and Fibers
FORE3-FCT Forensic chemistry and Toxicology Units: 3.0 P age |5

TEXTILES:
Weaving originated with basket making. Stone Age man used flax fibers to weave linen
cloth. Wool fabrics have been found dating to the Bronze Age. The oldest loom for weaving fabric
was found in an Egyptian tomb dating to 4400 B. C. In the early 1700s B. C., the people of China
and India developed complicated patterns of weaving fabrics of both silk (China) and cotton
(India).
Fibers are woven into textiles or fabrics. Weaving consists of arranging
lengthwise threads (the warp) side by side and close together, Crosswise threads
(the weft) are then woven back and forth in one of several different patterns.
Ancient weavers used a frame to stretch and anchor the warp and either threaded
the weft by hand or used a shuttle to alternate the strands of fibers. Machines first
performed weaving in the early 1700s.
The pattern in which the weft passes over and under the warp fibers is called the
weave pattern. Weave patterns have names like tabby, twill, and satin. Satin is not a
type of fiber, it is a type of weave. Look at your shirtsleeve or your pants, and try to
identify the yarns that travel in one direction and those that travel at right angles to
them.
The simplest weave pattern is the plain, or tabby, weave. It forms a
checkerboard, and each weft passes over one warp before going under the next
one. Patterns can be expressed in numbers. A plain weave is a 1/1 weave. The weft
yarn goes over one warp yarn, then under one warp yarn, then over one warp, and
so on.
Twill weaves are used in rugged clothing such as jeans. Twill is a 3/1 weave. The
weft travels over three warp yarns, then under one, with each successive row shifting
over one thread. This creates a diagonal texture on the surface. The two sides of this
textile look a little different. Look at the cuff of your jeans and compare the inside to
the outside.
A satin weave is a 3/1, 4/1, 5/1, 6/1, or more weave, with the weft traveling
over three or more warps and under one. If the warp and weft yarns are different colors,
the textile will be different colors on each side.

Type of
Diagram Description Characteristics
Weave

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4 Meeting MS. ELENA MAE CORONEL MR. WILBERT A. MAÑUSCA
Subject Teacher School Director
 Unit Criminalistics
Module Textiles and Fibers
FORE3-FCT Forensic chemistry and Toxicology Units: 3.0 P age |6

• firm and wears well

Alternating warp and • snag resistant
weft threads • low tear strength
Plain
• tends to wrinkle

• an open or porous weave

• does not wrinkle
Alternating pattern of
• not very durable
Basket two weft threads
• tends to distort as yarns
crossing two warp
shift
threads
• shrinks when washed

• not durable
• tends to snag and break
One weft crosses over three during wear
Satin • shiny surface
or more warp threads.
• high light reflectance
• little friction with
other garments

Weft is woven over three • very strong

Twill or more warps and then • dense and compact
under one. Next row, the • different faces
pattern is shifted over one • diagonal design on surface
to the left or right by one • soft and pliable
warp thread

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st rd
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4 Meeting MS. ELENA MAE CORONEL MR. WILBERT A. MAÑUSCA
Subject Teacher School Director
 Unit Criminalistics
Module Textiles and Fibers
FORE3-FCT Forensic chemistry and Toxicology Units: 3.0 P age |7

This uses two warp threads

and a double weft thread. • open weave
The two adjacent warp • easily distorted with
Leno threads cross over each wear and washing
other. The weft travels left to • stretches in one
right and is woven between direction only
the two warp threads.

TEST FOR FIBERS:

1. Burning test or ignition test

2. Fluorescence test
3. Microscopic test
4. Chemical test
a. staining test
b. dissolution test

DISCUSSION OF TEST

BURNING OR IGNITION TEST ( A simple preliminary macroscopic examination. A test that determines
whether fiber is mineral, animal or vegetable. A single fiber is applied with flame at one end and the
following are noted:
a. manner of burning
b. odor of fumes
c. appearance of burnt end
d. color of ash
e. action of fumes on moistened red and blue litmus paper
f. effect of fumes on a piece of filter paper moistened with lead acetate

FLUORESCENCE TEST – frequently used to determine the general group to which a fiber belongs. It is not
reliable for positive identification of fiber.

MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION – the fiber is placed on a slide teased and covered. In general it is the most
reliable and best means of identifying fibers.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMON TEXTILE FIBERS

1. Cotton – unicellular filament, flat, ribbon-like, twisted spirally to right or left on its axis; central canal
is uniform in diameter. Cell wall thick, covered by a thick, structureless, waxy cuticle. Fibers taper
gradually to a blunt or rounded point at one end.

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Subject Teacher School Director
 Unit Criminalistics
Module Textiles and Fibers
FORE3-FCT Forensic chemistry and Toxicology Units: 3.0 P age |8

2. Mercerized Cotton – straight, cylindrical with occasional twist; unevenly lustrous, smooth except for
occasional transverse fold or wrinkles; cuticle mostly lacking.
3. Linen – multicellular filament, straight and cylindrical, not twisted and flattened, tapering to a sharp
point. Cell walls thick, the lumen appearing as a narrow dark line in the center of the fiber to appear
jointed resembling bamboo.
4. Cultivated silk-smooth, cylinder, lustrous threads, usually single but often double, the twin filament
held together by an envelope of gum. More or less transparent, without definite structure.
5. Wild silk-similar to cultivated silk but broader and less regular in outline. Marked by very fine
longitudinal striations with infrequent diagonal cross markings.
6. Artificial silk-cylindrical, lustrous, appearing like a glass rod.
7. Wool-easily distinguished by presence of flattened, overlapping epidermal scales not found on silk or
any of the vegetable fibers.

CHEMICAL TEST

A. Staining Test – the fiber is stained with picric acid, Million’s reagent, stannic chloride or iodine
solution.
• Picric acid + silk ---------- dyed
• Picric acid + wool -------- dyed
• Picric acid + cellulosic fiber ---------------- unchanged
• Silk + million’s reagent --------------------- brown
• Wool + million’s reagent ------------------- brown
• Cellulosic fiber + million’s reagent -------- no reaction
• Stannic chloride + cellulose ---------------- black
B. Dissolution Test – if the fiber is white or light colored, it is treated with the following chemicals. If
dyed, the fiber is decolorize first by boiling in either 1% hydrochloric acid, acetic acid or dilute
potassium hydroxide. The fiber is then treated with the following and reaction observed.

1. 10% NaOH
2. 5% oxalic acid
3. Half saturated oxalic acid
4. Concentrated sulfuric acid
5. Concentrated and dilute ammonium hydroxide
6. Concentrated nitric acid

REFERENCE:
• https://www.acpsd.net/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=30449&dataid=951
4&FileName=A%20Study%20of%20Fibers%20and%20Textiles.pdf

SUBJECT TEACHER: APPROVED FOR IMPLEMENTATION:

st rd
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MIDTERM
4 Meeting MS. ELENA MAE CORONEL MR. WILBERT A. MAÑUSCA
Subject Teacher School Director
 Unit Criminalistics
Module Textiles and Fibers
FORE3-FCT Forensic chemistry and Toxicology Units: 3.0 P age |9

SELF-ASSESSMENT CHECK MD-4.1,1

DIRECTIONS: FILL IN THE SPACE PROVIDED BEFORE EACH NUMBER YOUR ANSWER.
_______________1. . A test that determines whether fiber is mineral, animal or vegetable. A single fiber
is applied with flame at one end
_______________2. Most common of this type is Rayon, it is a fiber that can imitate natural fibers and
generally smooth and silky in appearance

_______________3. a good donor of fibers, but it is not a textile. Commonly used for coats and gloves.

_______________4. dyed, the fiber is decolorize first by boiling in either 1% hydrochloric acid, acetic
acid or dilute potassium hydroxide.

_______________5. . A test that determines whether fiber is mineral, animal or vegetable. A single fiber
is applied with flame at one end.

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st rd
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4 Meeting MS. ELENA MAE CORONEL MR. WILBERT A. MAÑUSCA
Subject Teacher School Director
 Unit Criminalistics
Module Textiles and Fibers
FORE3-FCT Forensic chemistry and Toxicology Units: 3.0 P a g e | 10

SELF-CHECK ANSWERS MD-4.1.1

1. WILD SILK
2. CELLULOSIC
3. FUR
4. DISSULUTON TEST
5. BURNING OR IGNITION TEST

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 Unit Criminalistics
Module Textiles and Fibers
FORE3-FCT Forensic chemistry and Toxicology Units: 3.0 P a g e | 11

STUDENT NAME: __________________________________ SECTION: __________________

WRITTEN WORK MD-4.1.1

WRITTEN WORK TITLE: Essay on Textiles and Fibers

WRITTEN TASK OBJECTIVE: To show how can you write your opinion based on the knowledge gathered
on the topic of the module.

Question:

1. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

a) Define natural fiber from synthetic fiber, and how can it be used as an evidence?

b) What are the different common characteristics of textile fiber?

c) What are the different types of weave?

ASSESSMENT METHOD: WRITTEN WORK CRITERIA CHECKLIST

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4 Meeting MS. ELENA MAE CORONEL MR. WILBERT A. MAÑUSCA
Subject Teacher School Director
 Unit Criminalistics
Module Textiles and Fibers
FORE3-FCT Forensic chemistry and Toxicology Units: 3.0 P a g e | 12

STUDENT NAME: __________________________________ SECTION: __________________

WRITTEN OUTPUT CRITERIA CHECK LIST MD-4.1.1

SCORING
CRITERIA
Did I . . .
1 2 3 4 5

1. Focus - The single controlling point made with an awareness of task

about a specific topic.
2. Content - The presentation of ideas developed through facts, examples,
anecdotes, details, opinions, statistics, reasons and/or opinions
3. Organization – The order developed and sustained within and across
paragraphs using transitional devices and including introduction and
conclusion.
4. Style – The choice, use and arrangement of words and sentence
structures that create tone and voice.
5. Conventions – Grammar, mechanics, spelling, usage and sentence
formation.
TEACHER’S REMARKS: ❑ QUIZ ❑ RECITATION ❑ PROJECT

GRADE:

5 - Excellently Performed
4 - Very Satisfactorily Performed
3 - Satisfactorily Performed
2 - Fairly Performed
1 - Poorly Performed

_______________________________

TEACHER

Date: ______________________

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4 Meeting MS. ELENA MAE CORONEL MR. WILBERT A. MAÑUSCA
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