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Identificação de Fibras Têxtil

This document outlines methods for identifying natural fibres, specifically cotton, flax, silk, and wool, which are crucial for predicting textile behavior and planning conservation treatments. It describes two primary identification techniques: the burn test and microscopic examination, along with necessary precautions and materials for conducting these tests. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of documenting findings and provides references for further reading and resources.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
11 views4 pages

Identificação de Fibras Têxtil

This document outlines methods for identifying natural fibres, specifically cotton, flax, silk, and wool, which are crucial for predicting textile behavior and planning conservation treatments. It describes two primary identification techniques: the burn test and microscopic examination, along with necessary precautions and materials for conducting these tests. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of documenting findings and provides references for further reading and resources.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CCI Notes 13/18

The Identification of Natural Fibres


Introduction Sampling

Fibre identification is an important first step in Fibres can be identified from very small yarn samples.
predicting the behaviour of a textile artifact in various Typically, 0.4 cm (1/8”) or less is clipped from an exposed
environments. Knowing the identity of the fibre(s) yarn end in good condition in an inconspicuous area.
is also helpful in planning appropriate conservation Both warp and weft yarns should be sampled because
treatment(s) and/or storage methods. This Note some fabrics are made of one fibre type in the warp
describes two simple and practical ways (the burn test and another in the weft. As much as possible, samples
and microscopic examination) to identify cotton, flax, should be taken from all of the different fabrics making
silk, and wool — the most common natural fibres in up a textile or costume, including stitching threads. It
Western artifact collections (for more information about is important to document the sample location(s) in the
the characteristics of natural fibres, see CCI Notes 13/11 written records, accompanied by a photograph. Once
Natural Fibres). Other qualitative and quantitative tests taken, fibre samples should be placed in the fold of
are described in the referenced literature, but these may a white or coloured paper that has been labelled
require more sophisticated methods, expertise, and (this makes it easy to see and manipulate them).
instrumentation. However, they may be available
from textile testing services or local university Burn Test to Identify Fibres
scientific laboratories.
A burn test can be used to distinguish plant fibre
Factors to Consider (cellulose) from animal fibre (protein). The burn test
is not usually the sole method of identification, but
Several factors can complicate the identification of complements other techniques.
fibres within a textile artifact:
Materials
• The poor condition of a degraded historic textile
may make it difficult or even impossible to identify • fine scissors
the characteristic diagnostic features of fibres. • fine stainless steel tweezers
• Yarns that are blends of two or more fibre types, • unscented candle or other source of flame
including man-made fibres, can complicate the • lighter or matches
interpretation of the results of burn tests.
Consequently, another test method such as Precautions
microscopic examination of fibres should be
used to confirm the results of the burn test. • Burn tests should be carried out in an area safely
• Neither a burn test nor a microscopic identification away from artifacts and combustible materials.
is regarded as conclusive on its own, but either can • Fibre samples produce little smoke but, before
be used as a confirmatory test. Further tests by carrying out multiple tests, verify that doing so
specialists may be needed to make a positive will not accidentally activate smoke detectors.
identification. • If using matches to light the candle, let the odour
of the lit match dissipate before beginning the
Before carrying out tests on artifacts, it is important burn tests.
to obtain curatorial permission. Also, identification • Practice the technique with known samples from
methods should be practiced first on fibres from an expendable textile before doing the test on yarns
known, expendable textiles.

Canadian Patrimoine 1030 Innes Road, Ottawa ON K1A 0M5 Canada


Heritage canadien Tel.: 613-998-3721 or 1-866-998-3721 • Fax: 613-998-4721
from an artifact. It is important to gain experience in dark fibres, and those with surface finishes may be
making observations by sight and smell at each stage difficult to identify with a microscope.
of the burning process.
• Be aware that the flame will consume the fibres Materials
extremely quickly and, because the samples are very
small, the burning fibres may be difficult to see. • compound light microscope (up to 400× magnification:
10× eyepiece plus 10×, 20×, and 40× objectives);
Procedure minimum recommended magnification is 100×
• microscope slides
Holding the fibres or small yarn sample with the tip • microscope cover glasses
of the tweezers, note the following: • microscope slide trays or holders
• visual observations as the sample is brought near the • small beaker of water or mineral oil, to use as a
side of the flame, in the flame, and out of the flame mounting medium for temporary slides
• odour as the fibres burn • fine tweezers
• characteristics of the ash including the colour • eye dropper
and texture • fine scissors
Compare the results with those in Table 1. • permanent marker and/or pencil, for documentation

Commercially available reference slides of the


Weighted silk
most common natural fibres — cotton, flax, silk, and
wool — are invaluable aids in becoming familiar
Some silk fabrics are weighted by the addition of
with the surface and morphological features of fibres
metallic salts in the dye bath or in other finishing
(see Suppliers). These can be examined at various
processes. The weight added to silk compensates for
magnifications and compared to the characteristics
the weight lost when silk is degummed in preparation
of fibres presented in Table 2. As with the burn test,
for processing. However, in the late 1800s, processors
samples extracted from known, expendable textiles
began using metallic salts in excessive quantities.
should be used to gain experience before the
The salts accelerated the deterioration of the silk
procedure is carried out on fibres from an artifact.
by increasing its sensitivity to light and, eventually,
causing extensive weakening and fracturing of the
Procedure: Longitudinal view of fibres
fabric. A burn test can be used to determine if a silk
fabric is weighted, because only weighted silks leave The sampling procedure described previously can be
behind a very fine ash residue in the shape of the used to obtain fibres from the textile. Once obtained, the
yarn or fabric structure. fibres should be mounted on the microscope slide with
water or mineral oil (water enables the surface features
Microscopic Identification of Fibres to be seen more readily; mineral oil shows the interior
of the fibres better).
Microscopy can be used to confirm the results
of burn tests, and will make more sense of the Using fine tweezers, place the fibres in the centre of
results from burn tests on blended yarns. Microscopic a glass slide that is free of contaminants such as other
examination also helps to distinguish cellulose fibres fibres. Tease the sample fibres apart with the tips of the
from protein fibres. Fibres in poor condition, very tweezers. To simplify identification, the fibres should

Table 1. Burn characteristics of cellulose and protein fibres in good condition

Type of fibre Burn test


Near flame In flame Out of flame Odour Ash
Cellulose, • does not shrivel • burns • continues to burn • smells like • fluffy
e.g. cotton away from flame readily • has an “afterglow” burning paper • small
and flax • ignites in flame when removed • white to grey-coloured
immediately with from flame until
contact to flame fibre expended
Protein, • shrivels away • burns • self-extinguishes • smells like • very small
e.g. silk from flame slowly burning hair • dark
and wool • bead-like mass that
breaks apart easily

2 CCI Notes 13/18


be separated from one another rather than being surface features that distinguish fibres from one
in a tightly twisted mass or overlapping one another. another (see Bibliography). Microscopic identification
Introduce a small drop of mounting medium to the can be straightforward due to unique, easily identified
slide. Gently lay a microscope cover glass over the morphological features. Unusual or confusing features
fibres, so as not to disturb their placement. The may require expert assistance.
mounting medium will quickly distribute itself under
the cover glass and the sample can then be examined Mercerized cotton
under the microscope. Natural fibres will swell slightly
as they react to the mounting medium. Mercerization, a process discovered in the 1850s,
improves the lustre, dye affinity, and strength of cotton
Place the slide on the stage and adjust to the lowest fibres. This textile process causes the fibre to swell and
magnification, typically the 10× objective (with a become more cylindrical in shape, thus losing much
10× eyepiece, magnification is 100×). Low magnification of the twist so characteristic of cotton (see Table 2).
is useful for “finding” the fibres on the slide by adjusting
the coarse and fine focus knobs, and for observing Documentation
convolutions and surface features such as nodes. To
observe morphological features of fibres in detail, use It is important to keep a record of all findings. Record
a higher magnification (e.g. a 20× or 40× objective). the date, number and name of the artifact, description
of sample, sampling location, warp or weft threads,
The entire length of several fibres should be observed. colour of fibre, magnification, fibre features, and fibre
To do this, locate one cut end and follow the length type. Sketch the fibres observed. Some microscopes
of the fibre by moving the stage in small increments. feature standard film or digital cameras, from which
Reference books may be helpful for comparing unique a photographic record can be obtained.

Table 2. Longitudinal features of cellulose and protein fibres in good condition

Cellulose Longitudinal features Protein Longitudinal features


fibres fibres
Cotton • looks like a ribbon with twists Cultivated • looks like a cylindrical, smooth
(convolutions) at intervals along silk rod with periodic bulges
length of fibre • may sometimes have faint
• interior central canal or lumen may striations
look like a striation (a minute groove
running the length of the fibre)
• lumen is large, typically more
than half the full width of the fibre
Wild silk • flattened rod, like a ribbon, with
Mercerized • mercerized fibres have fewer irregularities in fibre diameter
cotton convolutions • may have more pronounced
• lumen may look like a striation striations than cultivated silk
• may have perpendicular
cross-markings, similar to flax

Fine wool • outer surface and edges rough,


due to overlapping surface scales
• no medulla (the dark central
Flax • single fibres or ultimates have solid line or row of interrupted
nodes at intervals along fibre length dots, depending on the animal)
in the form of I, V, or X, similar to
the appearance of bamboo
• irregular width
• interior central lumen is quite Coarse • outer surface and edges rough,
small, typically less than half wool due to closely spaced, zig-zag
the full width of the fibre or jagged-edge surface scales
• often seen as a bundle of fibres • medulla visible
tightly packed in the lengthwise
direction, rather than as
individual fibres

CCI Notes 13/18 3


Suppliers Cook, J.G. Handbook of Textile Fibres — Natural Fibres,
5th ed., 2 vols. Shildon: Merrow, 1984.
Note: The following information is provided only to
assist the reader. Inclusion of a company in this list DeGruy, I.V. The Fine Structure of Cotton — An Atlas
does not in any way imply endorsement by the of Cotton Microscopy. New York: Marcel Dekker Inc.,
Canadian Conservation Institute. 1973.

Fibre reference sets in prepared slides, microscopy Hudson, P.B., A.C. Clapp, and D. Kness. Joseph’s
supplies, microscopes: Introductory Textile Science, 6th ed. New York: Harcourt
The McCrone Group Brace College Publishers, 1993.
http://www.mccrone.com
Textile Institute of Manchester. Identification of Textile
Microscopes and microscope accessories: Materials, 7th rev. ed. Manchester: Textile Institute,
SDL Atlas – Textile Testing Solutions 1975.
http://www.sdlatlas.com
The Fiber Reference Image Library (FRIL).
Microscopy supplies: https://fril.osu.edu/
Scientific suppliers
United States National Park Service. Development of
Bibliography a Web-Accessible Reference Library of Deteriorated Fibers
Using Digital Imaging and Image Analysis: Proceedings
American Association of Textile Chemists and of a Conference, April 3–6, 2003 (edited by J. Merritt).
Colorists (AATCC). AATCC Technical Manual, Harpers Ferry Center: U.S. National Park Service, 2003.
1992. Research Triangle Park, NC: AATCC, 1991. Also available at: http://www.nps.gov/hfc/
products/cons/con-fiber.htm
Catling, D., and J. Grayson. Identification of Vegetable
Fibres. London: Chapman and Hall Ltd., 1982.

by the staff of the CCI Textile Lab

Également publié en français.


Also available in French.

©Minister of Public Works and Government


Services Canada, 2010
Cat. No. NM95-57/13-18-2010E
ISSN 0714-6221

4 CCI Notes 13/18

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