FIBER Analysis

1. FIBER Analysis

2. Fibers • Defined as the smallest unit of a textile visible to the naked eye • Used as supporting evidence to help place an individual at the crime scene • 95% of fibers are lost within the first 24 hours, so fiber collection at the beginning of an investigation is critical

3. Transfer • Direct transfer: fibers transferred directly from victim to suspect or suspect to victim • Secondary transfer: a victim has fibers that were picked up and then transferred to the suspect

4. Fiber Analysis—What Do You Look For? • Type of fiber: what is the composition of the fiber? How common or rare? • Color: do fibers from the suspect’s clothes match the color found in the victim’s house? Is the type of dye the same? • Number of fibers found: more fibers suggest possible violence or prolonged contact • Where the fiber was found: can be used to place the suspect at the crime scene

5. Fiber Analysis—What Do You Look For? (cont.) • Textile the fiber originated from: carpet? Upholstery? • Multiple fiber transfers: are there numerous sources of fibers; again, more sources suggests violence or prolonged contact • Type of crime committed: each type of crime has an expected pattern of contact between suspect, victim, and crime scene • Time between crime and discovery of fiber: the longer the time, the less value the fiber has as evidence

6. Fiber Analysis—Physical Characteristics • Texture: how does the fiber feel? Rough? Smooth? • Color • Crimp: is the fiber straight or crimped (wavy) • Pliability: is the fiber pliable (bends) or non-pliable (breaks) • Resilience: is the fiber resilient (reshapes after being crumpled) or non-resilient

7. Fiber Analysis—Chemical Characteristics • Flame Test: what does the fiber do when placed near the flame? In the flame? Moved out of the flame? What color is the flame? • Odor: what odor does the fiber have after being placed in the flame • Residue: is there any residue? If so, what does the residue look like? • pH Do not perform any test that destroys the fiber unless large quantities of the fibers were collected at the crime scene

8. Fiber Burn Analysis Key

9. Fiber Classification • Natural Fibers: made from animals, plants, or minerals that are mined from the ground • Synthetic Fibers: man-made fibers; these fibers can be derived from cellulose (regenerated fibers) or from petroleum products (synthetic polymer fibers)

10. Natural Fibers—Animals • Fur—used to make coats and gloves • Hair—wool (sheep), cashmere and mohair (goats), and angora (rabbits, camels, llamas, alpacas) • Silk—from the cocoons of the silk caterpillar All animal fibers are made up of protein.

11. Natural Fibers—Plant • Seeds—cotton is in the seedpod of cotton plants; easily woven and dyed so common in clothing • Fruit—coir is made from the covering surrounding coconuts; used to make baskets • Stem—flax (linen) and jute (twine) • Leaf—manila and sisal; both used for twine All plant fibers are made up of cellulose.

12. Natural Fibers—Mineral • Fiberglass—fiber form of glass that is weak and brittle; used as insulation • Asbestos—very durable fibers used for pipe coverings, brake linings, ceiling tiles, and other uses

13. Synthetic Fibers—Regenerated Fibers • Cellulose is combined with chemicals such as acetate • Rayon—imitates natural fibers and generally is smooth and silky in appearance • Celanese—cellulose combined with acetate; used in carpets • Capron—breathable, light weight material used in high performance clothing

14. Synthetic Fibers—Synthetic Polymer Fibers • Polyester—common synthetic fiber; represents a large group of fibers with a common chemical makeup • Nylon—similar to polyester, but easily broken down by light and concentrated acid

15. Synthetic Fibers—Synthetic Polymer Fibers (cont.) • Acrylic—found in artificial wool or imitation fur; has a light, fluffy feel • Olefins—used in high performance clothing such as thermal socks and carpets because they are quick drying and resist wear

16. Microscopic Comparison of Natural and Synthetic Fibers

17. Yarns • Fibers too short in their raw state to make textiles can be spun together to make yarn • Any given yarn will have a direction of twist which can help with identification

18. Textiles • Fibers are woven into textiles(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

19. Weave Patterns • Plain: alternating warp and weft threads; firm and wears well, snag resistant, tends to wrinkle • Basket: alternating pattern of two weft crossing two warp threads; doesn’t wrinkle, not durable, shrinks when washed • Satin: one weft crosses over three or more warp threads; not durable, snags, shiny surface, high light reflectance

20. Weave Patterns (cont.) • Twill: weft is woven over three or more warps and then under one; next row, the pattern is shifted over one to the left or right by one warp thread; strong, dense, compact, diagonal design • Leno: uses two warp threads and a double weft thread; the two adjacent warp threads cross over each other; the weft travels left to right and is woven between the two warp threads; easily distorted with wear and washing, stretches in one direction only