Coaching Tips and Hints

Hair and Fiber Analysis

Equipment:

A hand lens or preferably a microscope is a useful tool to use in the identification of hair and/or fibers. The
fibers should be compared to known samples of hair/fibers identification initially.

While studying either hair or fibers one should work with single strands if possible. Fabric samples, swatches
or matted hair should be carefully examined and single strands used!

1. Animal fiber.

2. Most animal fiber is actually hair from the animal. The hair is characteristic of the individual animal
species. For example, the fibers from a mink coat would exhibit the characteristics of mink hair. Silk is
another example of animal fiber, but it is not hair, so would not have hair characteristics. Other examples
of animal fiber include: wool, rabbit, camel’s hair, and human hair.

3. Vegetable fiber.

4. Vegetable fibers come from plants. They do not exhibit hair characteristics, but do have characteristic of
plant cell structure. Some examples of plant fibers include: cotton, linen and hemp.

5. Mineral fiber.

6. Mineral fibers include glass and asbestos. These are primarily used in household fabrics, insulation, and
roofing materials.

7. Synthetic fiber.

Synthetic fibers do not possess hair characteristics or cellular structures of animal or vegetable fibers.
They can be identified by their cross sections under the microscope, or more importantly by chemical tests.
Some examples of synthetic fibers include: orlon, dacron, polyester, Spandex, and rayon.

Various tests, other than microscopic examinations are usually required to determine the type of fiber/hair.
These include: chemical tests (e.g. reactions with acids and bases), tensile strength tests, elasticity tests,
combustibility tests, and water absorption tests.
 Hair and Fiber Analysis

Materials: Hand lens (microscope is preferable), flame source, water, acid, base, forceps, beaker or test tube.

Getting Started:

1. You will single strands of the material for many of the tests. One hint of course is that hair is not frequently
found woven; thus a swatch of “what appears to be fabric” is in all probability fabric.
2. Animal fiber such as silk or wool, like the hair from human beings, has a distinctive odor when burned.
One way to distinguish these species is by a burn test.
3. Close examination, with a hand lens or microscope will help you distinguish between hair from different
animals and for that matter, hair from the same specie, but from different parts of the body.
4. Vegetable fibers come from plants that either are alive or were alive. They do not have the characteristics
of hair, but rather do have the characteristics of plant cell structures. Cotton, hemp, and linen are
examples of vegetable fiber.
5. Synthetic fibers include nylon, rayon, dacron, polyester, spandex or orlon. They are characteristically
monofiliments and have a very different look with the hand lens/microscope.

Hair

A single shaft of hair consists of three distinctive parts: They are the outer layer, the central layer or canal, and
a layer between the first and second described above.

The outer layer is called the cuticle and is formed by overlapping scales that point towards the tip of the hair.
Usually the scale pattern is characteristic of each specie. The central layer or canal (since it runs down the
middle of the hair) is called the medulla. It too is characteristic of the specie; while the other layer is called the
cortex and contains the pigment for the hair.

See the diagrams below:

The medulla can be:

Cuticle

Cortex 1. Continuous

Medulla 2. Interrupted ---------------

3. Fragmented --- -- --- -
 Fabric Lab

Fabrics can be classified from their origin. They were made from one of the following: animal, vegetable,
mineral or synthetic.

There are a large number of ways to evaluate fabrics. In this section we will describe six different procedures
for the identification of fabrics. Please check your rules to ascertain which of these methods are permissible
for the current year.

Materials required for these labs: hand lens or microscope, paper towels, balance, forceps or tongs, dropping
bottles of 3M HCL and 3M NaOH, ruler, Bunsen burner or candle, beakers, test tubes, test tube rack, water,
lab apron and samples of at least one each of the animal hair fiber, vegetable fiber and synthetic fiber.

1. Observation

Make careful observations of each sample using the hand lens or microscope. Note the color, odor (if any),
and general appearance of each sample. Make a sketch of each below:

Animal Fiber Vegetable Fiber Synthetic Fiber

2. Burn Test

Use tongs or forceps and carefully ignite each sample of material. Record your results below. Note the
appearance and odor before and after the combustion process. Does it burn, smolder, melt, or something
else? Remember to examine the samples before and after. Note: single strands and swatches of fabric may
be used for these tests.

Odor Appearance

Before After Before After

Synthetic Fiber

Vegetable Fiber

Animal Fiber
 Chemical Tests

Reminder: Acids and bases are corrosive. Use safety goggles, tongs and a lab apron. Be careful
when using these materials

Place some 3 M of the hydrochloric acid in a small beaker or test tube. Add a sample of animal, vegetable or
synthetic material. Carefully inundate the material in the container. In separate containers add samples of the
other fabrics and the acid. Observe carefully. Next do the same with the fabric samples and the 3 M sodium
hydroxide. Allow the fabrics to sit for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the fabrics and observe again. Record the
results. Note the color, condition, and the odor before and after.

Before After

Acid Base Acid Base

Synthetic Fiber

Vegetable Fiber

Animal Fiber

If you have swatches of fabric an absorption test can be useful. Add small weighed samples of the three
fabrics to separate beakers with 50-100 ml. of water. Allow to sit in the water for 5 minutes. Remove from the
water, shake off the excess water and let dry on a paper towel for 15 minutes. Re-weigh the swatches.
Determine the percentage of water absorbency for each sample using the formula below:

Absorbency = [9mass of fabric after drying – initial mass of fabric]/initial mass of fabric) x 100

Initial Mass Dried Mass % Absorbency

Synthetic Fabric

Vegetable Fabric

Animal Fabric

Do this activity several times to determine the range of absorbencies of the various fabrics. Remember that
different animal fabrics will have slightly different absorbencies. This is true for all fabrics, but is still a useful
test.
 Elasticity and Tensile Strength

All materials will stretch to a point. This is called its elasticity. Tensile strength is a qualitative measure of the
ease of breaking. We have only three types of fabric that we are testing. They differ measurably in their ability
to stretch. Select single strands of each of the materials. Use a scale of easiest to rupture, hardest to rupture
and the one that is somewhere in the middle. Generally this is enough to identify the synthetic, vegetable and
animal fiber.

Synthetic Fiber Vegetable Fabric Animal Fabric

While doing the above procedure, you may want to become more quantitative. Measure the length of the
strand of each fiber before you begin to stretch and see how far it stretches just before it breaks. Calculate the
percentage strength using the formula given below:

Strength = [length of strand before breaking – initial length]/initial length) x 100

Initial Length Final Length % Elastic

Synthetic Fabric

Vegetable Fabric

Animal Fabric

Hint: If the fabric breaks carefully measure each of the pieces and add together for the final length.
 Fiber Analysis

DATA TABLE

CHEMICAL ELASTICITY FABRIC HOW IT TENSILE WATER

TESTS “BURNS” STRENGTH ABSORPTION

COTTON

LINEN

NYLON

POLYESTER

RAYON

SILK

SPANDEX

UNKNOWN

WOOL
 Fiber Analysis

Analysis: Based on your results, answer the following:

1. What type of fiber was the unknown? How do you know?

2. What type of fiber would be the best to use for winter clothes? Why?

3. What type of fiber would be the best to use for summer clothes? Why?

4. What fabric would be the best for making parachutes? Why?

5. What fabric would make the best fitting swimsuits? Why?

6. Which fabric would do the most damage to skin if it caught on fire while someone was wearing it? Why?